Red Joker
by HallowBlue
Summary: A new Joker has arrived in Wonderland, a small 8 year old girl that has been nicknamed "Red". She is the complete opposite of the other two, innocent, shy, and incredibly timid. How will she survive the violence and bloodshed of this world? And how will the Jokers handle taking care of a child? Rewrite of "Red"
1. Chapter 1

Red Joker

**This is a rewritten version of my unfinished story "Red". It was so close to being done, but, I just didn't like it as much as I used to. So I redid it! Hope you like it! (And yes, I am aware the first several paragraphs are exactly the same as before. I didn't have a problem with them, so I didn't bother to rewrite them.)**

Chapter 1: An Unusual Prisoner

It was just a normal day in Wonderland. Julius was working. Nightmare was avoiding Gray, who was trying to get Nightmare to do his work for once. Blood was in his office while the twins were arguing with Elliot. Boris was chasing Pierce and Gowland was "playing" the violin while everyone in the park ran away in fear. Vivaldi was ordering beheadings left and right. Peter was of course stalking Alice, and Ace was lost… again. Everything was as it should be, until "she" appeared.

The two Jokers were in the prison, standing in front of one of the empty prison cells. The two were completely different, yet still shared the same face. White Joker, as Alice had nicknamed him, was calm and polite, while Black Joker, also nicknamed by Alice, was rude and loudmouthed. It's amazing that the two were able to get along, most of the time. This particular day was different. They had been fighting all day over absolutely nothing. I guess it was expected of them. How could you expect two complete opposites to get along all the time?

Black's voice was loud enough to alert nearly every prisoner in the prison, while White's calm voice could barely be heard over Black shouting every profanity anyone had ever heard of. Nobody even knew what they were fighting about. Nobody was brave enough to ask. Eventually the two stopped and angrily went their separate ways. Now, although the Jokers didn't know it, their conflict had caused something very unusual to happen.

Somewhere, in the other end of the prison, a very confused girl sat up to find herself in a prison cell. She was very young, only around the age of eight. She had red hair and eyes, although one eye was covered by her hair. She was wearing a black and red checkered skirt with a white shirt underneath a black vest. She also had knee high black boots with striped socks. A black bow was placed in her hair and she had long black fingerless gloves and a black choker.

The girl looked around and felt very scared. She had no recollection of anything at all. Where she was, who she was, it was all a mystery. The girl stood up and walked over to the cell door. She pushed on it, but as expected, it was locked. Scared and confused, she sat down on the ground and did what any little girl would do in this situation. She cried. She cried loudly, but nobody was around to hear her. She was far from the rest of the prisoners, and the Jokers were nowhere near her. So she had to sit there crying in the cold jail cell alone, waiting for someone to come rescue her.

Later, both the Jokers were doing the rounds around the prison. It was quiet, for neither one was speaking to the other. They were both still a little bitter about what had happened earlier. As they walked on, a faint sound of crying was heard. That wasn't unusual, it was a prison after all, so they both ignored it. But the further they walked, the louder and more distinctive it got, until eventually, White turned to his counterpart.

"Do you hear that? It sounds like a child." White said as he listened more closely.

"Yeah, where the hell is it coming from?" Black said as he looked around for the source of the sound.

"I think it came from over there." White said, pointing down one of the many prison halls. The two of them walked quickly toward the sound until they stopped in front of one the cells. When they peered in, they were surprised to see a small girl sitting in the middle of the cell with her back to them. White suddenly turned to Black and glared.

"Did you lock up one of the jester children again?" He asked angrily, considering it had happened many times before whenever they had gotten on his nerves.

"No! I don't know who the f*** that is!" Black said. The small girl, hearing their voices, turned around hesitantly, shaking slightly from fear. When they could see her face, they both went silent. They were shocked, not just by the fact that she had a face, but also because of the remarkable resemblance she had to them. They both snapped out of it and White found his voice.

"Little girl, who are you? And what are you doing in there?" He asked as he knelt down so that he could get a better look at her. The girl opened her mouth, but was too terrified to answer, and instead just buried her face into her knees. White sighed and stood up before taking his key ring from his waist.

"What are you doing?" Black asked.

"What does it look like? I'm letting her out." White said as he searched for the appropriate key.

"How do you know she's not in there for a reason?" Black argued as he stepped in front of the cell door.

"Don't be ridiculous." White said as he held up the correct key.

"Why don't you stop being such a-" Black said but was interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming towards them. They turned and saw none other than Alice Liddell, walking towards them.

"Hello, White, Black, what are you two- Who's that? !" Alice exclaimed, her eyes landing on the little girl. Her eyes moved back to the Jokers, then to the girl, then back to the Jokers, then to the girl again.

'They have a child?' Alice thought, noticing the resemblance.

"Sooo... Who's the father?" Alice asked finally, looking at the Jokers expectantly.

"What? !" Both Jokers said at once, taken aback by her assumption.

"Well, I guess it would be you Black, considering I don't really see White locking up small children." Alice said. Black just huffed while White shook his head.

"She is not ours. We aren't sure why she's in there." White said.

"Then why haven't you let her out yet? !" Alice demanded.

"I was just about to, if you don't mind." White said, now facing Black. He grumbled before moving out of the way. After White opened the door, the girl immediately ran out, and straight to Alice. Alice, having a soft spot for anything cute, picked the girl up off the ground and held her tightly.

"Shhhh, it's okay now." Alice said in an attempt to console the girl. When her crying had died down, she pulled her away slightly, just enough so that she could see her face.

"Now sweetie, what's your name?" Alice asked kindly. The girl hesitated for a moment.

"My name is... Joker." She said finally. Alice gasped while the Jokers stared in shock.

"Y-your name is Joker?" Alice asked and the girl nodded.

"Where did you come from? And how did you get in there?" Alice asked while the Jokers stayed silent.

"I-I don't know. I can't remember. I can't remember anything..." She said, and began to tear up again.

"It's alright, don't cry." Alice said, stroking her hair softly. After she had calmed her down once again, she turned her attention back to the other two Jokers.

"Well, it's obvious we don't know what happened, but I think I know who would." Alice said.

"Who?" Both Jokers asked at once.

"Nightmare of course. He always seems to know what no one else does." Alice said. The Jokers nodded in agreement.

"I'll come back later and bring her to him. It doesn't seem like she's up for going anywhere right now." Alice said, looking down at the girl, who had managed to fall asleep in her arms.

"Why don't you just take her? We sure as hell don't want her!" Black exclaimed, earning a glare from White. Alice considered this for a moment, as it was very tempting, especially because of how irresistibly adorable Alice found her. She definitely didn't trust the Jokers with her, but she does belong there.

"Sorry, but she's your responsibility." Alice stated.

"What makes us f***ing responsible for her? !" Black demanded. The girl stirred slightly in her sleep and Alice quickly quieted Black.

"Be quiet Black! You'll wake her up! And her being a Joker makes you responsible for her, not me. I'll help you two out, considering I highly doubt either of you have the slightest idea on how to care for a child, but she stays here with you." Alice retorted.

"I'm not wasting my f***ing time-" Black started, but was cut off by White.

"Alice is right. She is our responsibility." White said with a sigh.

"I'm glad you agree. Now, here." Alice said, holding the sleeping girl out to him, who he reluctantly took.

"I'll be back soon. You two had better take good care of her while I'm gone." Alice said, her eyes boring holes into Black's.

"Of course."

"Whatever."

And then, Alice left, leaving the two clueless men alone with the small child. They looked at the girl for a second, then back at eachother.

"Now what do we do?" White asked.

"Do I look like a f***ing babysitter to you? !" Black shouted, causing the girl to stir in her sleep again.

"Obviously not. Now, what are we going to call her anyway?" White asked. Black raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Call her?"

"Yes, we need some kind of nickname. Two Jokers is enough. What about... Red?" White said.

"Red? What kind of a name is that?" Black said.

"Alice calls us White and Black, so why not Red?" White said. Black just rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, I don't really care." Black said and began to walk away.

"Well, Red it is then."

** Well there you have it, the first rewritten chapter. Honestly, I'm not even sure if I like this better than the original or not. What do you think? Like it? Hate it? Not sure? Let me know, and if you didn't like it, at least give it a few chapters please?  
**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Opposites

**Well, I'm glad to see you guys actually like this better than the original. Honestly, I was expecting dozens of reviews like "What the hell is this? ! The original was soooo much better!". So I am pleasantly surprised. I am going to try and update once a week, and I promise I won't go 1-2 months without updating again. Anyways, enjoy~ ^-^**

The girl, now nicknamed Red, opened her eyes and sat up. Looking around, she saw that she was somewhere different. It was a bedroom, decorated in black, red, and gold. Neither Alice or the Jokers were anywhere to be seen. She stood up and noticed she was now wearing a short sleeved red and black nightgown. Her clothes were sitting neatly folded at the end of the bed. After she quickly changed into her clothes, she wasn't sure what to do. She didn't know where Alice was, and she knew she would get lost trying to look for her. Plus, she really didn't want to risk running into the Jokers. She was still very nervous around them, and didn't want to see them again unless Alice was with her.

She nearly jumped when she heard the door open. She spun around and was relieved to see that it was Alice.

"Alice!" She cried, running over to her. Alice giggled slightly as the small girl wrapped her arms around her waist. But when she noticed the two men standing behind Alice, she immediately drew back.

"Don't be afraid Red, it's okay." Alice said in a comforting tone. The girl looked confused at the sound of her new name.

"Oh! I forgot to tell you. Since we already have two Jokers, we've decided to call you Red to make it less confusing. I call them Black and White." Alice said, pointing to each Joker as she said their nicknames.

"O-oh okay." Red said quietly, stepping back towards Alice, but avoiding eye contact with the two Jokers.

"We're going to see someone today, someone who might know how you got here, okay?" Alice said, reaching her hand out to her. Red nodded and took her hand.

"We'll be back soon." Alice said as they walked out of the room.

Alice felt stupid and irresponsible for not thinking to bring a jacket or something for Red. She knew that it was winter in this territory! Red shivered as she clung to Alice, trying desperately to keep warm. They weren't too far from the tower, but Red would get sick if she stayed out too much longer.

"It's alright Red, we're almost there." Alice assured as they drew closer.

Eventually, they came to a stop in front of Clover Tower. Alice knocked rapidly on the door, desperate to get Red inside. Within a few seconds the door opened, revealing a tall man with short dark blue hair and yellow reptile like eyes. He smiled upon seeing Alice.

"Hello Alice, what brings you here?" He asked politely, stepping aside to let her in.

"Hello Gray, I was hoping to see Nightmare about a little issue." Alice explained while entering the building. Red was careful to hide behind Alice, slightly afraid of this new person.

"What issue?" He asked. Instead of answering, Alice moved out of the way to reveal Red. Gray looked down at the little girl and gasped.

"W-who is this?" He asked, unable to look away from the adorable girl.

"This is Red. She showed up in the Joker's prison. We assumed that she was a roleholder, but she can't remember ever becoming one, let alone why she was even there." Alice said. Gray hadn't really heard what she said, for he was too focused on resisting the urge to pick her up and squeeze her. It was then he noticed she was covered in snow and shivering violently.

"She's freezing Alice! Get her over to the fire, and I'll get Nightmare for you." Gray said and hurried away. Alice led her over to the couch by the fireplace and they both sat down. Alice held her close, hoping to warm her up faster.

"I'm sorry Red. I forgot about the whole season thing..." Alice mumbled.

"I-it's a-alright A-Alice." Red said with chattering teeth. Alice frowned, but said nothing.

Soon, both Nightmare and Gray entered the room. Nightmare sat down on the couch across from them, while Gray left, probably to finish Nightmare's paperwork that had been ignored.

"Good to see you Alice, and you too, little Joker." Nightmare said with a smirk.

"So you know?" Alice asked, not surprised.

"Of course I do." Nightmare said.

"Then would you mind explaining how she got here?" Alice asked, slightly impatient.

"Not at all Alice. Obviously, the two Jokers are very different. Normally, this isn't a problem. But, earlier today the Jokers began fighting, over what, I'm not sure. But their conflict had caused something rather odd to happen. Now, normally roleholders are just faceless that have been given a role. But, little "Red", as you like to call her, was created as a roleholder." Nightmare explained.

"Created?" Alice questioned.

"Yes, created. Red was created from the Joker's differences. Basically, she is everything that they are not." Nightmare finished.

"Soooo, what do we do with her?" Alice asked.

"Take her back to the Jokers. That's where she belongs." Nightmare responded.

"They can't possibly take care of her!" Alice argued while Red grew slightly pale. The thought of living with the Jokers terrified her.

"If you're so worried, then just check up on her every so often. She'll be fine." Nightmare assured. Alice just sighed and glanced at Red.

"Alright, fine. I guess we'll be leaving then." Alice said. She took Red by the hand and began to walk towards the door.

"Wait Alice!" Alice turned around and saw Gray walking towards the, holding a black, child sized jacket.

"Oh, thank you Gray!" Alice said, and mentally scolded herself for forgetting again.

"It's nothing. Goodbye, and come back to visit soon." Gray said as the two of them walked out the door.

Eventually, the two of them made their way back to the Circus, and Alice began looking for White. Alice knew she couldn't stay there forever, but she didn't want to leave Red alone with them either. But Nightmare was right, she belongs with them. But, that didn't mean she couldn't stop by and check on her every few time periods or so, at least until Red got used to them.

"Ah, you're here Alice!" Alice looked and saw White walking towards them. Red immediately hid herself behind Alice.

"I was beginning to think you weren't bringing her back." He said with a smirk.

"Of course I did." Alice said, moving over slightly so that Red was visible. Red immediately turned her head away.

"What did he have to say?" White asked. Alice told him exactly what Nightmare had said in detail, and he looked just as surprised and confused as she had.

"I see..." He mumbled, and looked down at Red intently, as if wondering what he was to do with her.

"I'm leaving her with you, so you had better take good care of her. I'll be back to check on her later." Alice said with a threatening look.

"She'll be fine Alice, I promise." White said with a smile. Red looked at Alice with pleading eyes, desperate not to be left alone with them.

"It'll be alright Red. I'll be back soon, don't worry." Alice said, and lightly shoved Red towards White. Red gave Alice one last look. Her eyes were brimming with frightened tears and her bottom lip was quivering. Alice felt guilty for leaving and gave her a comforting look before glaring up at White with a look that said "Hurt her and I'll kill you in your sleep". Not that she thought either one of them would really harm her, but anything was possible with those two.

"Goodbye Red, I'll see you again in a few time periods." Alice said as she walked towards the exit.

"Goodbye Alice." Red said and slowly turned back around, jumping slightly when she saw that he was right in front of her, kneeling down to her level.

"There's no reason to be afraid Red. Come with me." He said, holding out his hand. Red took it hesitantly and walked with him as he headed towards the circus tent.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Fun at the Circus

**I will try to update this story every Monday (We'll see how that goes). Please review~**

The tent was mostly empty except for a few practicing performers and a couple of jester children that were playing around with throwing knives. White had left Red standing in the back of the tent while he went to take care of something. Red fidgeted nervously while she waited for him to return. She felt uncomfortable being alone with all these strange, faceless people, especially considering they wouldn't quit staring at her. Red bit her bottom lip and turned away to avoid the curious stares.

A minute or so passed and Red felt someone grab her arm. She turned quickly and saw a jester girl about her age gripping her arm, along with a jester boy standing next to her. When the girl got a close look at her face, she gasped.

"Oh! You really do look like Joker!" She exclaimed. Red took a step back in surprise.

"Do you wanna play with us, Joker girl?" The jester girl asked.

"Um, you can call me Red, and I can't play right now. I have to wait for Joker to come back..." Red said uneasily.

"What if we stay in the tent? He shouldn't mind then, should he?" She asked.

"Well... I guess not..." That's all they needed to hear before dragging her off to a large target nearby.

"What are you doing?" Red asked as she was told to stand right in front of it. The girl didn't answer, but instead raised Red's arms over her head. Suddenly she felt something lock around her wrists. Looking up, she saw that her hands had been chained above her, not allowing her to move. But, Red was too oblivious to realize what was happening.

"Don't move, okay?" The jester boy said. Before Red could question him though, she felt something land just a few inches from her head. She looked and to her horror, saw a throwing knife stuck in the wood of the target.

"Aw, I missed." The jester boy pouted. Red's eyes widened in horror as she realized the "game" they were playing.

"Let me try!" The girl said, raising one of her knives, ready to throw.

"Stop it!" Red shouted as she pulled at the chains.

"Why?" The girl asked.

"If you really are a joker, then you won't really die." The boy said, but Red was too hysterical to hear him. The girl threw the knife, and it landed next to her right arm. Red screamed and called for help, hoping maybe one of the other performers might've heard her. But, they had all left already. It was just her and the jester children.

"This time I won't miss!" The boy declared. Red continued to thrash around, desperately trying to free herself. She watched as the boy threw his knife, aiming straight for her chest. She shut her eyes tightly and waited for the pain, but it never came. She opened her eyes and saw a hand clutching the knife that would've otherwise killed her. It was White, who was giving the jester children a disapproving look.

"You two are NOT to harm this girl, understood?" He said sternly. The children mumbled a "Yes sir".

"Good, now go on." He said, shooing the children away. He reached up and undid the chains easily before inspecting her closely. He sighed in relief seeing as she was not hurt. But she was near tears and trembling violently.

"I'm sorry Red, I had no idea leaving you alone would prove to be so dangerous." He said apologetically. Red didn't respond, but instead latched onto White, throwing her tiny arms around his waist. He was taken aback for a moment, considering how she was normally terrified of him, but quickly regained his composure. Lifting the small girl off the ground, he transported them to the prison.

"Good work there genius, leaving her alone with those psychotic beasts you call children." Black spat bitterly, leaning against one of the prison walls.

"If you think you could do better, then why don't you take her?" White offered, holding the girl out to him.

"F*** no. I never agreed to be the little brat's nanny. That's your job." Black said. White just rolled his eye.

"She's as much your responsibility as she is mine Joker." White argued.

"If you ask me we should've left her in that f***ing cell!" Black shouted, causing Red to flinch and whimper at the harshness in his voice.

"Now you've gone and scared her!"

"Does it look like I care?"

"You should, considering she is a Joker after all."

"So are you, but I don't give a f*** about you either!"

"Why must you be so difficult?"

"Why must you be so f***ing-" Black started but was cut off by loud crying. Both Jokers looked down and saw that their fight had frightened Red.

"Great. Just f***ing great!" Black shouted, slapping his hand to his forehead.

"This is your fault you know!" White shouted back, while attempting to console the girl.

"Just shut her up!" Black demanded, covering his ears to muffle the small girl's wailing.

"I'm trying!" White said, but his desperate attempts did no good. Black was growing more and more irritated as she continued to cry, and looked as if he was about to snap.

"Shut her up before I do it myself!" Black shouted, not helping the situation at all. Ignoring Black, White thought of an idea. He somehow managed to conjure up a light blue stuffed cat with a yellow ribbon around its neck and presented it to the crying girl. She took notice of it almost immediately and took it gratefully, pulling it close. Eventually her crying died down entirely.

"About f***ing time!" Black growled once the noise stopped. White sent him a glare before turning his attention back to the girl. Her eyes were half lidded and she let out a yawn.

"I think little Red might be tired." White said, petting her head lightly.

"Not my problem." Black said and walked away. White sighed and started to walk towards her bedroom. By the time he had gotten there, Red had already fallen asleep. Before lying her down on the bed, he snapped his fingers and her outfit transformed into her red and black nightgown. Then he gently pulled the covers over her. White turned and walked out the room, and flicking the lights out he whispered "Goodnight Red."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: A Prison is Not a Place For Kids

**It's late, and short, I'm sorry ;^^ School's kept me busy.**

Black just couldn't believe it. HE was stuck babysitting an eight year old girl. Him, the cruel, heartless, prison warden. He cursed his counterpart as he walked down the prison halls, with Red struggling to keep up. There was a show at the circus today which all roleholders were required to attend, and White decided it wasn't a good idea for Red to meet the other roleholders just yet. So Black was forced to watch her until he got back. Red was about as happy as Black was with this situation. Although she had grown a bit more trusting towards White, she was still terrified of Black. He had done nothing but threaten, yell, and curse at her since she had met him.

Red walked quickly behind Black, desperate not to get left behind. She knew she would never find her way out of here, and knew that Black wouldn't try all that hard to find her if she got lost. She was trying so hard to keep up that she didn't notice one of the many broken toys in her path. She let out a yelp as she fell to the floor with a loud thud. She looked up to see Black turn and glare at her in annoyance before walking off. Red scrambled to get up but felt something wrap around her ankle. She whipped her head around and saw a hand reaching out from one of the cells. The prisoner began to pull her towards him and she screamed.

Black spun around immediately and cursed before pulling out his whip and hurrying over. Once he got close he lashed his whip at the prisoner's arm, who immediately let go. He was about to hit him again when he heard Red's loud crying. He growled and put his whip away before sending the prisoner one last glare.

"I'll deal with your sorry a** later!" He spat and roughly yanked Red off the ground before walking off. She continued to wail as she was being carried away and Black was absolutely clueless of what to do, because, believe it or not, Black isn't all that great with children. Shocking, right?

Black looked down at the girl with a scowl. Other than a skinned knee, she wasn't hurt, but the whole situation had left her hysterical. Her crying was annoying, but he had no idea how to make it stop. Sighing, he started walking towards his bedroom.

Black entered his room and sat Red down on the bed. Her wailing refused to stop and he was growing more irritated. He began rubbing his temples and pacing around the room as he tried to think.

"Just shut up!" He finally snapped, causing her to cry louder. He glared at her and groaned. Becoming desperate, he walked over to the closet. He reached up to the top shelf and brought down a box. It was plain and white with a bright red cross on the lid. It hadn't been used in so long that a thick layer of dust covered the top of it. He wasn't even sure why he even had a first aid kit in the first place. Blowing the dust away, he went back over to Red, who had yet to stop crying. He knelt down in front of her and flipped open the box. He shuffled through the various bottles and sprays, not even sure what most of them were, until he found a simple box of bandages and a cloth. He gently wiped the blood away, careful not to inflict any pain that would cause her to cry louder, and placed the bandage over her wound. Even after he was finished, her crying still hadn't stopped. Black groaned seeing that it wasn't enough to make her stop.

He thought back to what White had done, but it didn't look like another stuffed animal was going to do the trick. He thought for a moment before snapping his fingers and a red lollipop appeared in his hand. He held it out to her, and after a moment or so, she took notice of it. She was hesitant at first, suspicious of his actions, but eventually took it. Black sighed in relief once the tears stopped flowing.

"Finally..." He mumbled. He looked back down at her and scowled again. Now what was he supposed to do with her? He still had work to do, and there was no way he was taking her back with him.

"I'm going to finish my work in the prison, you wait here. You do not leave this room until I get back, or else. Understand?" Black said sternly. Red nodded nervously. After giving Red one last warning look, he headed out the door, leaving Red alone.

Red glanced boredly around the room. It had only been about twenty minutes since Black had left, but it had seemed like hours to Red. She was bored out of her mind, but was afraid to leave because of Black's warning. Suddenly, she heard a noise in the hall. It was the sound of heavy footsteps right outside the door. Was Black back already? Or was it White? Maybe Alice came back to check on her? It had been two or three time periods since she left.

Red got up and walked toward the door. She pushed it open lightly and stepped out into the hall. To her right, she saw a man she had never met before. He had light brown hair and red eyes and he wore a warden's uniform similar to Black's. He was also carrying a sword, which frightened Red slightly.

"Huh? Who are you?" The man asked as he walked toward her. He looked her up and down and grinned.

"Hey, you look a lot like the Jokers! You wouldn't be one of them would you?" He asked. Red nodded.

"I've never seen you around here before. You must be a new roleholder!" He said.

"Y-yeah." She said nervously.

"You probably haven't seen all the territories yet have you?" He asked.

"N-no..." She said. His grin grew wider and he leaned down closer to her.

"How about you come with me? I'll show you around~!" He offered.

"I-I can't. Black said not to leave unless-"

"Oh come on! It'll be fun! The name's Ace by the way." He said, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her away. Red looked back nervously, but knew there was no way she was getting out of it. She just hoped Black wouldn't actually kill her when she got back.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Knights, Rabbits, and The Bloody Twins

** T-T School makes my updates so slow. But I'm trying, I promise! Currently, I'm only focusing on this story, but the others are not dead! I've just got so many ideas for this story (I've even rethought the sequel... or maybe even sequels)! I'm really going to try to type out as much as I can over the weekend so that I may have a chapter ready next week! Anyways, read and review~ Please?**

After leading Red around the forest for several hours, Ace finally stopped in front of a large mansion. Red looked around in confusion. This didn't look like a castle.

"Um, Ace? Are we lost?" Red asked. Ace turned and grinned.

"I guess we are! Haha! I could've sworn it was this way..." Ace said. Red sighed. They'd been gone forever, and Red knew it wouldn't be pretty when she got back.

"Hey! What are you doing here again! ?" They both turned and saw a man walking towards them. Red immediately stepped behind Ace in fear.

"We're on our way to the castle!" Ace said, much to the man's annoyance.

"For the last time, the castle is in that direction!" The man shouted, pointing in the right direction.

"Did I go the wrong way again? Haha!" Ace laughed. The man growled before pulling out a gun. Red's eyes widened and she clutched Ace's coat tightly.

"That's it! I've had enough of you!" The man shouted before firing. Red flinched at the sound of the gunshot. Ace easily deflected the bullet with his sword.

"Careful Elliot! You might hit the kid!" Ace said.

"What kid? What are you talking about?" Elliot demanded. Ace moved out of the way to reveal Red.

"She's a new roleholder, the third Joker!" Ace exclaimed. Elliot looked down at the girl judgmentally.

"I don't care! Now shut up and fight!" Elliot said and fired again.

"Get back little Joker!" Ace said and Red ran back toward the trees. She ducked behind one and peeked out. They were both fighting now, although more so Elliot than Ace. He blocked every shot Elliot fired, and it looked like he wasn't even trying. Red was scared. One of them was bound to get hurt, even killed. Right now she just wanted to go back to the circus. She never wanted to leave in the first place! She really hoped the Jokers hadn't noticed she was missing yet...

-Back at the prison-

"What do you mean she's gone? !" Alice shouted. After about 3 time periods, she had finally come back to check on Red, but when she got back, she was missing.

"Well, he was the one that was supposed to be watching her." White said, glaring at his counterpart.

"You left Red alone with HIM? !" Alice demanded.

"I admit it was a bad idea..." White mumbled.

"No sh*t. I told you, I'm no f***ing babysitter!" Black grumbled. Alice sent them both one last glare before walking off.

"Alice? Where are you going?" White asked.

"What do you think? I'm going to go find her!"

-Back at the mansion-

Red was still watching from behind a tree. It had been dragging on for awhile, and so far, neither of them had gotten hurt. Red had considered turning around and trying to find her way back herself, but she knew she would never make it. So, she decided to just wait until this pointless fight ended.

"Hey there girlie!" Red jumped and spun around. Two identical boys were staring at her. One wearing red, and the other, blue. They appeared to be several years older than her, but they were the youngest roleholders she had met so far.

"Uh, h-hello..." Red mumbled quietly.

"Who are you?" They asked.

"I-I'm Red."

"I'm Dee!" Said the one in blue.

"And I'm Dum!" Said the one in red.

"What are you doing here? You're too small to be an enemy..." Dee said.

"Hey, why don't we play with the little girlie brother?" Dum suggested.

"Yeah! C'mon girlie!" Dee exclaimed and they took her by the arms.

"Hey! W-wait!" Red protested as they dragged her away. Just as the three of the left, a man approached Elliot and Ace.

"What do you think you're doing, Elliot?" He demanded.

"Blood! I was just taking care this idiot. He got lost and showed up here again!" He said, jabbing his thumb towards Ace.

"What did I tell you about fighting on my property?" Blood questioned.

"Sorry Blood..." Elliot mumbled.

"Now, Elliot, just give him directions to the castle." Blood ordered.

"Fine... wait, where's that kid you had with you?" Elliot asked glancing towards the trees, only to see that she was gone.

"Oh! I almost forgot the kid! Haha!" Ace said and looked around.

"Now where did she go?"

Red was sitting on the couch in the twin's bedroom. They had left to go get something, although she wasn't sure what. She felt uneasy as she glanced around the room. There were weapons lying on the floor, leaning against the walls, and sitting on the shelves. It made her shudder just looking at them.

"We're back!" Red looked up to see the twins. Dee looked as if he was holding something behind his back. They smiled at her, but it scared her for some reason. They sat on either side of and Dee pulled out what he had hidden behind his back. Red's face paled as she saw that it was another weapon, a knife. It's long, sharp blade glistened in his hand as he held it up.

"Isn't it cool?" Dee asked.

"Yeah! It's really sharp too! And shiny!" Dum said, holding it up closer to her. Red backed up a bit, away from the sharp edge of the knife.

"Well Red, are you ready to play?" Dee asked.

"W-what do you m-mean?" Red stuttered. Instead of answering, Dum took her arms and held them behind her back.

"What are you doing? !" She screeched. Dum took one hand and covered her mouth.

"Shh! If we're gonna play, you gotta be quiet! Boss will get mad if he finds out we were playing inside again." Dum said. Red's eyes widened as Dee brought the knife closer to her. The blade trailed up her arm, gently enough not to pierce the skin. Red began shaking but couldn't get away. For two young boys, they were pretty strong. She whimpered as he pressed harder, cutting her slightly. When she felt blood trickle down her arm, she bit down on Dum's hand. As soon as he let go, she screamed as loud as she could. Dee dropped the knife and clamped her mouth shut.

"I think we have to cut this game short, brother." Dee said.

"I guess so." Dum said and picked the knife off the ground. He brought it to her throat and smiled.

"Goodbye Red, it was fun while it lasted." Dum said. Right as he was about to slice her throat, the door flew open.

"What are you two doing! ?" All three of the looked to see Alice rushing in, followed by Blood and Elliot. Shoving the boys away, she grabbed Red off the couch and held her tightly.

"What is wrong with you! ?" She shouted at the boys.

"We were just playing!" They whined. Alice huffed and walked towards the door.

"Goodbye Blood, Elliot. I've got to take Red back." Alice said as she passed the two men.

"Goodbye Alice, please come back to visit us soon." Blood said.

"I will! See you later!" Alice said as she hurried down the hall.

Once Red had calmed down, she explained what had happened. Ace taking her against her will, getting lost, the fight, the twins finding her and all that. Alice was furious, not with just Black for leaving her alone, but Ace, Elliot, and the twins, as well. Not to mention White for leaving her with Black in the first place.

Alice picked up the pace as the circus came into view. She immediately headed to the circus tent, where she spotted White standing in the middle, watching the performers practice.

"White! I found her!"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: A Warning

White turned around and smiled upon seeing Alice. He hurried over to them, only to be greeted with with Alice's angry glare.

"Alice! Glad to see you've found her. Now where did you run off too?" He asked with his usual sweet smile. Before she could answer/yell at him, the scene transformed into the dark and gloomy prison.

"Yeah! Where the f*** did you go? ! I though I told you not to go anywhere!" Black shouted, making Red flinch and hide her face.

"Maybe if you had been watching her like you were supposed to, she wouldn't have been taken away by Ace, gotten lost, gotten stuck in the middle of a fight, taken by the bloody twins, and nearly gotten cut open!" Alice shouted back.

"I leave for a few time periods and this happens! I thought you two would at least be capable of keeping her from getting killed! Don't you two understand-"

"Um, Alice, I hate to interrupt, but..." White said, pointing down at Red's arm. Alice glanced down and gasped. Somehow she had not noticed the long cut on her arm that the bloody twins had given her.

"White, get a first aid kit or something, hurry!"

Later, after Red's arm had been fixed, Alice carried Red into her bedroom with the Jokers following behind. She laid her down gently before pulling the covers over her. After petting her head gently, she turned to the Jokers.

"Well, now that I know I can't trust her alone with you two that long without her being kidnapped and nearly cut open, I'll be back within the next time period." Alice said.

"You forgot being used for target practice." Black said, looking at White.

"What? !" Alice exclaimed.

"Uh, nothing, nothing! Don't worry Alice, we'll be extra careful this time!" White said quickly.

"You'd better. And I don't want to see a single scratch on her when I get back!" Alice said.

"I promise she'll be perfectly fine." White assured.

"Now go on, we'll take it from here." White said, giving Alice a light shove towards the door.

"Alright, goodbye for now." Alice said.

"Goodbye Alice!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

After Alice had left, the Jokers glanced back at Red, who had fallen fast asleep, and sighed.

"Why are we putting up with this again?" Black said, staring at the sleeping girl.

"And what do suggest we do instead, kill her?" White sarcastically

responded, annoyed.

"It's not that would work anyway. If she is like us, she wouldn't actually die... right?" Black questioned.

"I'm not sure actually... But let's hope that won't be an issue."

Later, Red was walking aimlessly around the circus. Since there was no show scheduled for quite awhile, White saw no problem with letting her play around in the circus... as long as she avoided the jester children. Red was grateful, considering she really didn't like the prison. It was scary, and quite depressing as well. She wasn't even allowed anywhere other than the living quarters of the prison, so it was also quite boring. Not to mention lonely.

After wandering around for awhile, Red decided to rest by a tree. Even if she was allowed out of the prison, there still wasn't much for her to do. She wanted Alice to come back and spend time with her. The Jokers were

busy right now, and she didn't want to bother them, especially Black, just because she wanted company.

Red sighed and was about to get up when she noticed two shadows that appeared over her. She looked up and saw two strange men. They looked very similar to each other. They both wore a suit, with only minor differences, such as the color of the tie. One had red, the other, blue. Their hair was different as well, one had short hair, and the other had long hair that was tied back into a pony tail.

"There you are!" They both exclaimed. Red stared at them curiously. They looked so familiar, but she could swear she had never met them before.

"We came to play with you again!" They said. Those words struck fear into her as she remembered the time she "played" with the Bloody Twins. They looked like them, and sounded like them, but the Bloody Twins were only children, barely older than her. Despite this, she immediately got up and ran, screaming for her life.

"Hey, wait!" The twins called and hurried after her. Red continued to run blindly through the Circus, hoping to find White to protect her. Suddenly her foot got caught on a tree branch poking out from the dirt. She screeched as she hit the ground, sure she would be caught. Then she noticed a pair of red shoes just inches from her face.

"Red! Are you alright?" A familiar voice asked as Red was lifted off the ground to meet the eyes of Alice.

"Alice!" Red exclaimed and latched onto her.

"Red, what's wrong?" Alice asked when the twins skidded to a stop in front of them. Alice looked up and glared at them.

"Where you two chasing her? ! What is wrong with you? !" Alice shouted at them.

"We only wanted to play with Red!" They wined. Before Alice could yell at them some more, someone else ran up behind them.

"Geez! Slow down would you?" A teenage boy complained as he joined them. He wore mostly pink and black, with pink hair and multiple piercings. But what caught Red's attention the most were the cat ears and tail.

"Boris? You weren't chasing her too were you?" Alice demanded.

"Chasing who?" He asked as his eyes landed on the girl in Alice's arms.

"This is Red, Boris. She's a new roleholder." Alice explained.

"Well, what's she doing here?" Boris asked.

"She's a Joker Boris." Alice said, causing his eyes to widen.

"She's a Joker?" Boris asked sceptically, looking at the girl whose eyes were practically sparkling with innocence.

"Yes. I know it doesn't make much sense, but she is." Alice said with a sigh.

"Hey Alice, why don't we show her the amusement park?" Boris suggested. She thought for a moment before nodding.

"Alright, but those two can't come anywhere near her." Alice said, glaring at the twins once again.

"Why?" They both whined.

"She's terrified to even look at you! Aren't you two supposed to be working right now anyway?" Alice pointed out, causing the twins to groan.

"Fine, but come visit us again soon!" They said before leaving.

"Should we go then?" Boris asked.

"Just a minute, I should tell the Jokers first." Alice said.

"Okay, but don't take too long!" Boris said as Alice began to walk away.

"I wont!" Alice said as she headed toward the circus tent. She stepped inside and looked around, but White didn't seem to be there.

"Hello there Alice!" Alice jumped and spun around to see White grinning down at her.

"Oh hello, I just wanted to know if it'd be alright if I took Red to the amusement park." Alice asked. White thought for second, unsure if letting Red see more of this world was a good idea.

"Hmm, I guess there's no harm in that. The amusement park is one of the less dangerous territories anyway." White said with a smile.

"But if the Hatters show up, leave immediately." White warned, his tone turning serious.

"You don't think that Blood would actually hurt her do you?" Alice asked with concern. Blood may be a jerk, but her wouldn't hurt such a little girl would he?

"Not just Blood, but the others. Although the Jokers may be hated by many, we are hated by no one more than the Hatters." White said. Alice frowned. It was the Jokers that had imprisoned Elliot in the first place. Then there were the many other reasons...

"Alright, I'll keep her away from the Hatters." Alice promised.

"Good, now go on! Have fun!" White said and lightly pushed Alice towards the exit.

"Okay, we'll be back later!" Alice said and walked out of the tent. She spotted Boris who had been waiting impatiently and hurried over to him.

"Are you ready?" Boris asked.

"Yeah, we're ready. Let's go!"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Amusement Parks Can Be Deadly

**Great. Just great. During Winter break I had plenty of time, but no motivation. Now I have plenty of motivation, but no time. I'll still try my best for updates!****Enjoy~**

The three of them arrived at the amusement park shortly. Red was slightly overwhelmed by the bright, cheery, atmosphere. She had only been to two other territories before, and neither was as exciting, or crowded, as this. Even the circus was never as busy as this place.

"Hey Alice, I think she should meet the owner first." Boris suggested.

"Yeah, I think you're right." Alice said and started to follow him. Alice then suddenly stopped as she remembered something.

"Uh Boris, there aren't any negotiations with the Hatters planned for today are there?" Alice asked.

"I don't think so, why?" Boris asked.

"I just don't think Red needs to be around them." Alice said, not going into further detail.

"I don't think it'll be a problem. They had one of their "negotiations" just a few time periods ago. And after a fight like that, I don't think he'll be back any time soon." Boris said and continued on. Then he grinned as he passed the merry-go-round.

"Hey kid, you wanna know the owner's name?" Boris said, turning to her with a mischievous smile. Alice sent him a warning look, but he ignored her.

"What is it?" Red asked curiously.

"Mary Gowland~" He replied as he waited for her reaction. Red giggled and Alice sighed.

"You just had to tell her didn't you?" Alice said. Boris just grinned and leaned in close to Red.

"And he really likes his name, so be sure to call him that as much as you can." Boris whispered into her ear. He looked up to see Alice glaring at him.

"I heard that Boris." Alice said. Boris laughed and continued to lead them away.

A few minutes later the three of them stumbled upon the amusement park owner. The cheerful man was standing in front of a rollercoaster that seemed to be under construction.

"Hello there Alice!" He called when he noticed her. Alice gave him a friendly wave as she walked toward him.

"And who's this?" Gowland asked, noticing the little girl standing beside Alice.

"This is Red. She's a new roleholder." Alice explained.

"Well hello Red!" Gowland said with a smile.

"Hi Mary Gowland!" Red exclaimed happily. Boris immediately burst into hysterical laughter and even Alice couldn't help but giggle. It was just so adorable when she said it! Gowland turned and gave Boris the biggest death glare he possibly could.

"Boris! You told her too? !" He shouted. Boris let out one last chuckle before placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Relax old man! She's just a little kid. It doesn't matter if she knows or not." Boris said and lifted the girl off the ground, holding her out to him. One look at her face and his scowl immediately vanished as he took her from him.

"I guess it's alright if you know. Besides, it really is cute when you say it." Gowland said with a smile. Boris and Alice looked surprised. They'd never seen anyone that could get away with using his first name. Suddenly, Boris sniffed the air and hissed.

"I smell a rat..." He growled. Red gasped as a boy with mouse ears popped up out of nowhere.

"Who's this?" He asked, looking at her in awe.

"Her name's Red, Pierce." Alice said. He stared at her for a few moments before pulling her away from Gowland and squeezing her tightly.

"She's so cute!" Pierce exclaimed. Red gasped as she struggled to breathe in his grasp.

"You're going to crush her!" Boris shouted, yanking her away.

"I'm sorry! I didn't hurt her did I?" Pierce asked frantically.

"No, but be more careful you dumb rat!" Boris said, setting her back on the ground. Alice sighed and turned back to Gowland.

"Anyways Gowland-" Alice started but was cut off by the one voice she didn't want to hear.

"Well hello _Mary_." Alice turned to see Blood walking towards them with a smug grin on his face.

"Back again already are you? I thought I told you, I'm not giving you any of my land." Gowland said, his grip on his violin tightening.

"I thought it might be worth a shot to negotiate again. All I'm asking for is a mere 1/3 of your land. That's all." Blood said as though it was completely fair.

"You aren't getting an inch of my territory! Now leave!" Gowland demanded, and the violin in his hands transformed into a gun. Red grabbed onto Alice in fear.

"You shouldn't be so hasty _Mary~_" Blood said in a taunting tone. Suddenly, a loud bang was heard. Gowland had fired at Blood, barely missing him. Now all of Blood's workers had there own guns out, aimed at Gowland. Gowland's workers did the same. In a split second, bullets were flying left and right.

"Oh no, Red, let's get out of here!" Alice said and reached for Red's hand. But when she looked down, Red wasn't there.

"Red? Red! Where are you? !"

Red panted as she finally came to a stop. She had been running so fast she hadn't noticed where she was going. She had started running the moment she heard the gunshot. It wasn't the smartest idea, but she was frightened. She was in what looked like a maze, although she had no idea how she had gotten herself into it. Red was scared again, here she was, lost in a maze with no way of getting out. Alice was probably worried sick, and the Jokers, specifically Black, would be angry at her for running off. Red started to tear up when she heard a voice.

"Off with her head!" Shouted an angry sounding woman. The sound came from nearby, and although she didn't sound friendly, she might've been able to help her out. Red followed in the direction of the voice until she heard her right behind the hedge. She was nervous, for the woman didn't seem very nice. She considered turning back and finding the way out herself when her foot landed on a twig. 'Snap!'

"Who's there! ? Reveal yourself at once!" The woman demanded. Red hesitated, but eventually stepped out from behind the hedge. The woman was very beautiful and obviously royalty. The woman took one look at the trembling girl and beckoned her to come closer.

"Come here girl, you should not be afraid." She called out to her. Red nervously walked forward, still afraid of the woman who had sounded so harsh only moments earlier.

"What is your name child?" She asked.

"M-my n-name is Red." She stuttered.

"You may call us Vivaldi, Red. You must be a new roleholder correct?" Vivaldi asked. Red nodded.

"Are you lost dear?" Red nodded again.

"Where do you live?" Vivaldi questioned further.

"I-I live in the circus. But I don't know how to get back..." Red replied. Suddenly, there was a flash of anger in her eyes as Vivaldi jumped up from her seat.

"The circus? ! An adorable child like you should not be staying in such a place!" Vivaldi shouted, causing Red to flinch. Before Vivaldi could continue her rampage, a voice called out.

"Your majesty! Alice has come to visit!" A cheery voice annouced.

"Peter, I told you, I'm just looking for- Red!" Alice exclaimed as she ran over to her and lifted her off the ground.

"I was so worried! I thought I lost you!" Alice said as she hugged her tightly.

"Alice? You know this child?" Vivaldi asked.

"Yes, I'm watching over her until the Jokers can handle her themselves." Alice explained, ignoring the death glares Peter was sending towards Red. Even though she was just a little girl, she was still stealing Alice's attention.

"And I should probably bring her back now." Alice said.

"Well, we guess we can allow it knowing that you are caring for her as well, but be sure to bring her back the next time you decide to visit!" Vivaldi said.

"I'll will, now lets get going Red."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Frozen

**Only one review? :( That's disappointing. Oh well, maybe this chapter will do better. Remember, more reviews means faster updates. **

Alice waved goodbye to White as she led Red away. She was going to take her back to the tower, considering she had forgotten to have her meet Julius the first time. So far he was the only roleholder she had yet to meet. Alice didn't mention that she had already met Peter and Vivaldi to the Jokers, in fact she left out everything involving Blood showing up. Nothing really bad had happened, so it was no big deal.

Alice walked up the steps to the clock tower with Red following close behind. She didn't bother to knock, considering this was her home, and Red was freezing despite Alice remembering to have her wear a jacket. She hurried Red inside and closed the door behind her before leading her down the hallway. She paused at the door at the end of the hall and knocked.

"Who's there?" A grumpy sounding voice answered.

"It's me Julius." Alice answered.

"Come in." He replied and Alice opened the door.

"What is it?" He asked.

"I thought it was about time you met the newest roleholder." Alice said and pushed Red in front of his desk. He glanced up from his desk and looked at her without the slightest sign of interest.

"Hello. Now can I get back to work?" Julius said and returned his attention back to the clock in his hands.

"Julius, would it kill you to be a bit more friendly?" Alice asked with a frown.

"I don't have time for this Al-"

"I'm back!" A loud cheerful voice interrupted Julius as the door flew open, revealing a man in a bloody cape.

"It's about time." Julius growled. The man laughed and walked over to Julius, dropping a sack on his desk.

"Ace, take that off. You're scaring Red!" Alice said as Red clung to her in fear.

"Who? Oh! It's you! I didn't see you there." He said yanking down his hood and grinning at Red.

"It's been awhile huh?" Ace said as he knelt down to her level. Red looked at him a smiled.

"Hi Ace!" She said happily, completely forgetting about the blood dripping from his clothes. Ace laughed.

"You know, I should take you camping sometime~" Ace suggested.

"NO." Both Julius and Alice said at once.

"Aww~ You two are no fun!" Ace said before walking back towards the door.

"Anyways, I gotta go! See you guys later!" Ace said, leaving just as quickly as he came. Alice and Julius sighed as the door slammed shut behind him. Julius then set the now fixed clock down on his desk and reached into the bag for another.

"I can see you're busy Julius, we can come back some other time." Alice said and began to lead Red towards the door.

"It's fine. You two aren't bothering me. You don't have to leave." Julius said. Alice smiled slightly and pulled a chair up next to his desk. She sat down and pulled Red onto her lap. Alice just watched him work like she always did, and even Red seemed interested in what he was doing. Her wide eyes watched his every move as he fixed clock after clock after clock. Eventually, the bag was completely empty.

"It looks like my work is finished for now. Although I know Ace will be back with more eventually." Julius said as he got up from his desk. Alice quickly glanced at the clock on the wall.

"Oh! We've been gone for awhile now. I should get her back now." Alice said, setting Red onto the floor and leading her to the door.

"I won't be gone long. Goodbye!" Alice said and shut the door behind them.

The time changed to night as the two of them walked down the cobblestone streets. It was even colder at night, and not to mention more dangerous. The crowded streets began to empty as the people hurried inside. Nobody wanted to be outside at night. It just wasn't safe. Alice held Red's freezing hand as tightly as she could, but with everyone rushing around them trying to get into their homes, she felt her hand slip.

"Red!" Alice exclaimed, spinning around the moment Red's hand left hers. She scanned the crowd, but didn't see a trace of the little girl. By the time the crowd cleared, Red was nowhere to be seen.

Red quickly ducked into the nearest alley. 'So many people...' She thought with a shudder. She had been knocked over in the frenzied mob and was nearly trampled trying to find Alice. She slid down the brick wall and sat in the snow. She was too afraid to continue on her own. It was scary out there, and she was lost enough as it was. Red hugged her knees in an attempt to keep warm, but it was no use. She was shivering violently and her teeth chattered loudly. She could even feel her hands starting to go numb. She felt incredibly tired and her eyes shut against her will, leaving her asleep in the snow.

"White!" Alice cried as she ran towards the jester with the unconscious girl in her arms.

"Oh Alice you're back..." White began but stopped when he saw Red's unconscious body.

"Alice... what happened?" He asked as he inspected the girl. Her skin was ice cold, and her lips were a pale shade of blue. He had to check her pulse just to confirm she was still alive.

"She got lost while we were in town. She nearly froze to death!" Alice exclaimed.

"Follow me Alice, we'll take care of it." White said as he brought them to the prison. Black walked over to them and his eye widened as he saw her.

"Well f***. Is she dead?" He asked, lifting up her right arm and looking her over. She was certainly as cold as a corpse. Whether or not he was actually concerned was not certain, but he was obviously surprised.

"No! She's not dead! Just help her!" Alice said frantically. White took the girl from Alice and assured her that she'd be alright.

"Calm down Alice, everything will be fine. Go back to the tower and rest for now." White said as he began to carry Red away.

"B-but!"

"He said to go back to the f***ing tower! She'll be fine!" Black shouted, interrupting her protest.

"...fine." Alice said finally and the Jokers took Red away.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Healing

**Geez guys, what's with the extreme lack of reviews lately? I finally start updating regularly again and nobody reviews? If you really want me to finish this story, then please leave a review. I don't care if it's just a simple "Good chapter! :)" it's still something, and it means a lot. Also, I just updated two stories at once, at 3 in the morning. I feel awesome.**

Red stirred slightly, but her eyes remained shut. She was too tired to even move and she couldn't stop shivering although she was covered by several blankets.

"Red? Are you awake?" White asked. Red managed to open her eyes just enough that he would know she was awake. Both Jokers sighed in relief.

"Ah, you're alright. How are you feeling?" He asked as he helped her sit up.

"C-c-cold." Red said through chattering teeth. White placed his hand on her forehead and frowned at the touch.

"I wish I could say the same about your forehead..." White mumbled, pulling his hand away.

"Well, I'm afraid that I have a show to do. But don't worry, Joker will take care of you!" White said, gesturing towards Black.

"What? !" Black exclaimed.

"Well you can't just leave her alone while she's sick." White said as he started walking towards the door.

"I'll be back in a couple hours." He said before shutting the door behind him, leaving Black alone with the sick girl. He turned and looked at her. She was still shaking violently underneath at least three blankets and he wasn't sure what else to do. Red looked at him and expected him to just leave. But surprisingly, he didn't. Instead, he walked over to the bed and sat down next to her. What he did next shocked her greatly. He grabbed her and pulled her close to him, putting his arms around her to warm her up. Red's eyes grew wide and she glanced up at him with a slight blush on her face. She quickly felt warmer and started feeling sleepy again. Her eyes grew heavy and she rested her head on him. He didn't say anything, he just held her until she finally stopped shaking.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Black? Are you there?" Red and Black immediately recognized the voice as Alice.

"What the f*** do you want?" Black ever so politely asked, quickly letting go of Red and standing up. Taking that as a "Come in", Alice opened the door.

"There you are!" Alice exclaimed as she rushed over to Red and picked her up off the bed.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to lose you!" Alice apologized as she squeezed Red tightly.

"I'm alright Alice." Red said as she struggled to breathe in her grasp. Alice loosened her grip and looked down at Red.

"Oh you must be freezing!" Alice said and set her back down on the bed.

"It's okay, Black-" Red started but was interrupted by a spoon being shoved into her mouth.

"Black!" Alice exclaimed as he retracted his hand, leaving Red gagging.

"What?" He asked, holding up a bottle of medicine, while shooting Red a warning look. Alice sighed and laid Red back down before pulling the covers over her.

"I can take it from here Black." Alice said.

"Good, I've got better things to do than take care of some sick kid!" He said before stomping out of the room. Alice just rolled her eyes.

"Just go to sleep Red. I'm not going anywhere." Alice said softly. Then she spotted a little blue stuffed cat on the other side of the bed which Red had named "Liam". She picked it up and gave it to Red who gratefully took it from her. Within a few minutes, she had fallen back to sleep.

About two hours later, White came back to see Alice sitting at the foot of the bed with Red fast asleep. He smiled and walked over to her.

"Ah, hello there Alice. Now where did Joker go? I thought I told him to look after her." White said.

"I took over for him. I didn't really trust him to care for her, even if it was just for two hours." Alice said, getting up from the bed.

"Well, I can take care of her for now Alice." White said.

"Okay, but I'll be back." Alice said, giving Red one final look before heading towards the door.

"I'll see you then. Goodbye for now Alice!" He said, opening the door for her.

"Goodbye White." Alice said and left, leaving White alone with Red, who was still sleeping soundly. He walked over to her smiled upon seeing her cuddling the stuffed cat he had given to her.

Red's eyes suddenly fluttered open and she sat up, surprised to see White instead of Alice.

"Feeling any better Red?" White asked, placing his hand to her forehead. Red nodded and yawned, still sleepy due to her illness.

"And your fever has gone down. You'll be better in no time!" White said removing his hand.

"I'll be right back Red, wait here." He said before leaving the room. Red rubbed her eyes and pulled her stuffed cat a little closer. She really did like White, and even though Black was a bit of a jerk at times, she couldn't really hate him. She couldn't help but smile as she remembered how he took care of her when she was freezing.

The door opened back up to reveal White walking in carrying a glass of water. He sat down next to her on the bed and held out the glass to her.

"Here Red, drink this." He said. Red took the glass, but her hands were shaking so hard from shivering that she nearly dropped it. White quickly took it back from her.

"Let me help you." He said and brought the glass to her lips. Once she had drunk about half of it, he took the glass away and set it down on the nightstand.

"That's enough for now. Now, lay back down and rest some more." White said. Red rested her head back on the pillow and snuggled her face into her soft stuffed cat.

"I'll be back to check on you in a little while." White said, pulling up the blankets so that they covered her more.

"And if you need anything, just use this." White said, placing a small white mask on the nightstand, similar to the one the Jokers had.

"Just call for us and we'll be here right away." He said and patted her on the head and started to leave the room.

"Goodnight little Red."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Dress Up

**First of all, I'm really sorry this is so late. I had planned on finishing this chapter several weeks ago, but I'm afraid something happened that prevented me from having internet access. Secondly, thank you all so much for reviewing! Now I feel motivated again and I've got a million ideas for this story! Enjoy the new chapter!**

Alice carried Red out of the circus and they began to make their way to the heart castle. It had been a while since she had last visited there, and Vivaldi had wanted to see Red again, and since Red was finally feeling better, Alice thought it would be a good idea. So, after quickly telling Black that she was taking Red, his response being "Whatever.", they were on their way.

Once they arrived they were escorted to the queen by a faceless soldier. The queen was just about to order the beheading of a poor maid for whatever reason when she saw the two of the enter the room. Her eyes sparkled with delight and she dismissed the grateful maid. She quickly got up from her throne and hurried over to them.

"Alice you've returned! And you've brought this little darling with you!" Vivaldi said as she joined them, lifting the little girl out of Alice's arms.

"Come with us, we have an idea we are sure you'll love!" Vivaldi said to Alice with a twinkle in her eyes. And with that, they hurried off to Vivaldi's room.

The two women squealed as they admired the little girl. They had been playing a game of dress up with Red for the past several hours. She had been put into dozens outfits, each one frillier than the last. At one point she had even been forced to wear cat ears. The current one she was wearing was a dress that went down slightly above her knees with short red poofy sleeves. Most of the dress was white and decorated with red lace. The bottom of the dress was lined with red frills. There was a red bow with white polka dots on the front and white ribbon that laced up the middle. She also wore a pair of red and white knee high socks and red mary jane shoes. There was also a red lacy choker with a another polka dotted bow attached and a white bow was placed in her hair. They had even put her hair into pigtails that were held up with white ribbon.

"You are just so adorable!" They both gushed as they hugged her tightly. Red liked both of the women very much, but this was just pure torture. Three hours of frilly outfits and bone crushing hugs was more than she could take.

"We should take a break for now." Vivaldi said, letting go of Red so that she could breathe. "We'll have a servant bring us some tea." She said and left the room to find the nearest servant. Red let out a relieved sigh and plopped down onto the couch. She was growing tired from all of the dressing up and was glad to have a break. Red let out a yawn and rubbed her eyes sleepily. Alice took a seat next to Red and pulled the girl onto her lap.

"Aw, I'm sorry Red. You must be tired from all of this aren't you?" Alice asked. Red merely nodded.

"Don't worry, we won't stay much longer. We'll have tea with Vivaldi and then I'll take you home alright?" Alice said, petting her head lightly as Red rested her head on her shoulder.

Vivaldi returned moments later and the two women chatted while they waited for their tea. After about ten minutes the servant arrived, carrying a tray with three teacups and a plate of cookies. They drank their tea as they continued their conversation, most of it being centered around Red.

"We must insist that Red takes some of those outfits with her." Vivaldi said as she sipped her tea.

"That's very nice of you Vivaldi. I'm sure Red will appreciate having more than that one outfit." Alice said. Red made a face of pure disgust, but it went unnoticed by the women.

"We shall assist you in picking out which outfits to take, and we do believe the one she is wearing right now is most definitely a keeper!" Vivaldi exclaimed, causing Red to cringe.

After they finished their tea, the two women proceeded to pick out their favorite outfits, which of course were also Red's least favorite. In the end, they had chosen so many that the queen sent a servant with Alice just to carry the clothing. They both said goodbye to Vivaldi and went on their way.

Alice and Red were just about to exit the maze when they heard a strange noise on the other side of the hedge. Although Alice had an idea of what it was, Red was completely clueless and before Alice could stop her, proceeded to peek her head around the hedge.

"Eek!" Red shrieked and ran back to Alice, her face pale and her eyes full of fright. Fearing the worst, Alice covered Red's eyes and took a look herself.

Peter was standing surrounded by bloodied corpses with his gun at his side. He had shot at least fifteen of the poor faceless soldiers. Upon hearing Red's shriek, he spun around with his gun pointed in her direction, but stopped when he saw that Alice was there as well.

"Alice my dear! I was so sad when I heard you were leaving without seeing me that I killed a few soldiers in a rage. But now you're here and no more blood will have to be shed!" Peter exclaimed as he hurried towards her with his arms wide open.

"Get away from me Peter! You're scaring Red!" Alice shouted, dodging his attack.

"Why do you care for that little insect so much? Surely I am much better company!" Peter exclaimed, earning a smack on the head from Alice.

"We're leaving! Come on Red, let's get you home." Alice said as she lifted the girl off the ground and carried her out of the maze, followed by the servant that had kept quiet the entire ordeal, leaving the very upset rabbit behind.

Alice had managed to calm the girl down by the time they had gotten back. But she was so tired she didn't even bother finding White and instead went straight to the prison. After the servant set down the stack of clothing, Alice dismissed him and he went on his way.

Red was exhausted and slightly traumatized after the long day. Alice was about to help Red get ready for bed, when a certain redhead entered the room.

"What the f*** is she wearing?" Black asked as he looked at the girl.

"Vivaldi was kind enough to give her some clothes, and I think she looks adorable!" Alice retorted. Red looked up at Black with a face that screamed "Please help me, those women are insane!". Black actually felt sorry for the poor girl that was forced to endure such horrors. He looked at the outfit she had been forced into and just shook his head.

"She's a kid, not a f***ing doll!" Black exclaimed, earning a glare from Alice.

"Quit cursing in front of Red!" Alice shouted back. Black just rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, I've got work to do." He said and exited the room. Alice huffed and turned back to Red. She helped her out of her dress and took off her many accessories before getting one of the articles of clothing from the stack Vivaldi had given her. Among the many dresses there was a nightgown. It was made of light blue silk and had short puffy sleeves that were lined with white fabric. It had a white collar and three buttons that went down the middle and the bottom was lined with white lace. After slipping the gown on her, she helped her into bed.

"Goodnight Red, sleep tight."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Kidnapping

Both Jokers were busy today. White was busy preparing for the next show, and Black was busy doing his usual rounds. Neither of them had any time to watch over Red, so she was left alone. And she was bored, very bored. Without the Jokers or Alice to keep her company, there wasn't much for her to do.

After sitting around in her bedroom for awhile, Red decided to go wander around the prison, completely forgetting she was strictly told not to.

Grabbing her little stuffed friend Liam, Red headed down to the forbidden areas of the prison.

It was calm and quiet in the prison as usual. And it did nothing to relieve Red of her horrible boredom. The prisoners stared at her through the bars, but none of them dared to try and harm her. She made sure to watch where she stepped in fear of tripping over a broken toy again. Suddenly, she stopped. What was that noise she heard? It sounded like footsteps, but they were far away from where she was. Red shrugged it off and continued walking.

Red shivered from the chilly atmosphere of the prison. She had already walked down several hallways and found nothing of interest and decided it was probably time to head back. Maybe go to the circus, although she doubted it would be anymore interesting there considering everyone was too busy to bother with her.

Red began walking back the way she came, but stopped again when she heard the noise again. It was the same footsteps, but they were closer this time, much closer. They sounded like they were just around the corner. Suddenly her eyes lit up. Could it be Black? White? Or maybe Alice had come back? Picking up her pace, she walked towards the source of the sound. When she came closer to the end of the hall, the footsteps stopped. Confused, Red slowed down and peeked her head around the corner.

It was not Black, White, or even Alice that stood before her. To her horror, it was a prisoner that towered above her. His mask had been removed, but he still wore the tattered prison clothing. Startled, she jumped, falling back. The prisoner stared down at her in disgust.

"It's the little Joker girl." The prisoner said. Suddenly another prisoner came out from behind him. The second one grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and yanked her off the ground.

"What are we supposed to do? Do we just kill her?" The first prisoner asked, causing Red's eyes to widen in fear. The second one shook his head.

"No, I have a better idea. We can kidnap her, hold her for ransom or whatever. That way, we get our freedom, and revenge." The second one suggested.

"Sounds good to me." The first one replied.

"Let me go!" Red cried, frantically kicking her legs and grabbing at the man's hand, but the man only growled and shook her.

"Knock it off you damn brat!" He shouted. Frightened tears began to fall down her face and she gripped Liam tightly as if it would protect her. The man roughly tossed her over his shoulder and turned to the other man.

"Alright, let's get out of here." He said and the other man nodded. They were just about to try to find the exit when they heard a sound.

"Wait, what's that?" They both stopped. Heavy, all too familiar footsteps could be heard down the hallway, headed straight towards them.

"It's the warden!" The first prisoner cried. "What do we do?"

"Hey! Where the f*** do you think you're going!" Black shouted as he turned the corner. He pulled out his whip and stomped towards them.

The prisoner held Red out in front of him and smirked.

"I wouldn't come any closer if I were you." He said. Black stopped in his tracks and his eyes narrowed in anger.

"Let go of her!" He hissed, his whip transforming into a gun. The man's smirk only grew as he drew a knife and put it to Red's throat.

"What's going on here?" White asked as he came around the corner, stopping just a few steps behind Black as he took in the scene before him. Red looked at them with pleading eyes as the sharp blade pressed against her skin.

"Black, White, help me!" Red cried out desperately.

"Let her go now, and we might let you live." White threatened darkly with a fierce look in his eye, showing a side of him Red had never seen before.

"I don't think so. Let us leave, and we promise to return her in one piece." He said. The Jokers looked at Red, crying hysterically in terror, and then at eachother. But before they could make up their minds, a sharp blade came out of nowhere and tore through both the prisoner's necks. Their heads fell to the floor and blood splattered on the walls of the prison. Red fell from his dead hands as his body slumped to the ground.

Ace stood there, smiling as he held up his bloodied sword. He walked towards the gory mess and lifted Red from the floor. She was covered in the prisoner's blood and shaking violently, clearly traumatized.

"I think this belongs to you." He said, offering her to the Jokers. White took her from him and she immediately wrapped her little arms around his neck.

"Thank you, Ace." White said as he held the girl tightly.

"No need to thank me! A raise will do just fine!" Ace laughed.

"Whatever, just clean up this mess!" Black said and turned his attention to the girl in his counterpart's arms.

"And you, what were you even doing out here? ! I thought I told you not to come here!" Black demanded, but Red was too hysterical to hear him.

"Now is not the time for that." White said, shooting him a glare. Black only grumbled in response, but did not continue to scold her. White ignored him and inspected her for injuries. He sighed in relief when he found none.

"Let's get you cleaned up shall we?" White said, wiping a spot of blood off her cheek.

After Red was clean and completely free of blood, and after they had managed to calm her down, the Jokers took her back to her bedroom. They got her changed into her nightgown and put her to bed. She was still a bit upset from the ordeal, but the Jokers figured she'd be fine after some rest.

"Goodnight Red. We'll come to check on you in the morning." White said as he pulled the covers over her.

"Yeah, goodnight kid." Black said, lightly ruffling her hair. They were just about to leave the room when Red reached out and grabbed White's sleeve.

"What is it Red?" White asked.

"Don't leave..." Red mumbled with a pleading look. White sighed and sat down on the bed.

"I'll stay until you fall asleep alright?" He said. Instead of leaving like both White and Red had expected, Black sat down on the bed on the other side of her.

Red laid her head down on her pillow and shut her eyes. With both Jokers watching over her, she felt safe and secure.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Deadly Tea Party

** You can thank spring break for the quick update :D. I'm already working on ch. 13 and hopefully it will be posted within a few days. Enjoy~**

Due to earlier events, White took Red to the circus when she awoke and had her stay in the circus tent so that he could keep a close eye on her. Even Black took a break from his work in the prison to watch over her. They had realized they had to be much more cautious with Red, and definitely couldn't leave her unattended in the prison.

Red sat next to Black and watched White and the other performers practice. Black made sure not to let her out of his sight, constantly looking over to make sure she hadn't run off, and scanning the area for any suspicious activity. A stray throwing knife dared to fly towards Red, but Black was able to pull her out of the way just in time. The knife stuck into the material were Red's head once was. She now sat in Black's lap with his arms wrapped protectively around her. He ripped the knife out of the chair and tossed it aside, sending a fierce warning glare towards the faceless who was careless enough to let it get away from him.

"Watch it f***er! If she gets hurt it'll be your head!" He shouted towards the faceless. The frightened man quickly apologized and hurried out of the tent to avoid Black's wrath.

"Hey clown! Tell your dumba** employees to be more f***ing careful!" Black shouted at White.

"Calm down Joker, she's fine. This is a circus, accidents happen." White said.

"Well if it happens again I'll-!" Black began to shout back, but was interrupted by a ghostly tap on the shoulder.

"What! ?" He demanded as he whipped around. An afterimage stood next to him, and although it said nothing, Black immediately knew what he was trying to say.

"Again? Dammit!" Black cursed as he stood up. Carrying Red, he walked over to White and handed her over.

"Another prisoner escaped, watch her until I get back." Black said before stomping off. White looked down at Red, and then at the other performers. Suddenly he smiled as he thought of an idea.

"I have an idea Red. Trust me, it'll be fun!"

...

"Ah!" Red exclaimed as she clung desperately to White. He had somehow convinced her to come up with him on the trapeze, and now Red was regretting ever agreeing to it.

"It's alright Red, I've got you." White laughed as he held onto her with one arm, keeping her steady on his lap. Red's grip only tightened as they continued to swing. She hid her face in his chest, too afraid to look. It was too high and too fast for her, but White assured her it was fine, and there was nothing to be afraid of. But that didn't help the fact that she felt like she was going to be sick any moment now.

"Look up dear. It's no fun if you hide your face." White said as he gently turned her head away from him. She looked down for a split second before hiding her face once again. White sighed.

"Now how are you ever going to be able to perform if you can't even handle this?" White asked. Red raised her head slightly, just enough to see his face.

"Perform?" Red questioned.

"Of course! You are a Joker after all. Even Black performs once in awhile." White said. Red considered this for a moment. But when she looked around and saw all the other performers, she felt very discouraged. There was no way she would ever be able to do any of that.

"Don't worry about it now Red. We'll work on it when you're a little older." White said, patting her head.

"Ah, I can see you're really not enjoying this. I guess we should probably get-"

"Joker! Joker! The elephants have gotten loose!"

…

"Stay right here Red. Don't move until I get back alright?" White said as he sat her down in a chair. Red nodded and White hurried off to handle the situation.

Red sighed as she looked around. All the performers had run off to help and she was left alone again. Black had yet to return and it would surely be awhile until White got back. She really hated when this happened. And it sure happened a lot. But it wasn't really their fault, they were both just really busy. That's why Alice stopped by so often, but she hadn't been back in quite awhile.

"There she is!" Red stiffened as she heard a voice she hadn't heard in so long, and hoped to never have to hear again. She turned around slowly to see the twins just a few feet away in their adult forms. She looked around for a way to escape, but it was too far away. The twins would surely catch her long before she could reach it.

"Boss told us to come and get you!" Dee said as he approached her.

"Yeah! Come on Red!" Dum said as he grabbed her and threw her over his shoulder.

"H-hey! Stop!" Red shouted, but it did no good. She could kick and scream all she wanted, but nobody would hear her. The twins carried her right out of the tent and out of the circus without anybody noticing. They took her through the forest, and she fought them the entire way. But she was small and weak, so her attacks did little to help her. They had almost made it to the mansion when they heard a rustle in the bushes.

"Hey! What do you two think you're doing?" A familiar pink haired cat exclaimed as he jumped out in front of them.

"We're taking Red to the mansion~!" They both exclaimed.

"Alice told you guys to leave her alone! Let her go!" Boris said and took Red away from them.

"We weren't gonna hurt her or anything! Boss told us to bring her!" The twins whined.

"And I said no!" Red said as she clung to Boris for protection.

"C'mon, I'll take you home." Boris said and turned to leave. But before he could get far, it suddenly turned to night.

"Dammit! It looks like we don't have much of a choice. The forest isn't safe at night, and we're almost to the mansion." Boris said.

"Yay! Red's coming to the mansion!"

…

The four of them arrived at the mansion gates where Blood was waiting for them. By now the twins had changed back to their child forms, and Boris was still carrying Red, considering he didn't trust either of the twins to do it.

"Welcome Red, please, join us for a tea party will you?" Blood said as he lead them away.

Blood led them to a table outside the mansion. It was nicely decorated and the area was lit with lanterns and a few candles that were scattered across the table. There were dozens of sweets and teas of every flavor you could think of. Elliot was already seated at the table, while Boris and the twins sat on the side opposite of him. Blood took a seat one chair down from Elliot and Red sat down in the last remaining seat with Blood seated at her right, and Elliot to the left. She was a bit nervous considering nothing good had ever come out of her visits to the mansion, but so far, nobody had tried to hurt her. There hadn't even been a gun fight yet. She also felt much safer with Boris around. He had already tried to rescue her from the twins, even if he was unsuccessful.

One of the servants placed a cup of tea in front of her. She picked up the cup and stared at the steaming brown liquid before she felt a pair of eyes watching her. She looked up to see Blood staring at her intently while the others were too busy drinking, eating, or chatting to notice. Red nervously sipped her tea, pretending not to notice his stare.

"So, Red, from what I've heard, you are a Joker correct?" Blood asked, silencing all conversation. All eyes turned to him as Red nervously looked up. The tone of his voice made it sound more like an accusation than a question.

"Y-yeah..." Red replied nervously, not sure where this was going. There was definitely tension in the air as everyone stared at the two like they were expecting one of them to spontaneously combust.

"Hmm, you are certainly... different from the other two. But, I guess it doesn't really matter." Blood said, and before she could even blink, a gun was pointed directly at her head. She jumped in surprise, falling out of her chair. Boris immediately stood and shouted at Blood.

"Put the gun down Blood!" Boris said as he drew his own gun and pointed it towards the hatter.

"Since when do you care for Joker scum?" Blood said, his glare never leaving the frightened girl.

"Never, but I care about Alice. And Alice would be heartbroken if she died!" Boris shouted back.

"Hmph, if she's a real Joker, she won't really die anyway. This is merely a test of just that." Blood replied.

"And you, Joker girl, don't just lie there. Draw your weapon and fight back!" Blood said to the girl. Red just stared up at him with tearful eyes.

"I d-don't have a w-weapon..." She stuttered.

"The Jokers let you wander around this world without so much as a weapon? Maybe they want you to die after all." Blood said.

"That's enough Blood!" Boris said and fired his gun. The shot missed, but just barely. The moment he heard the gunshot, Elliot jumped to his feet, gun in hand, to defend his boss. The twins just stared at the chaos for a moment, deciding whether to defend their friend, or their boss. After they realized defending the enemy would result in a pay cut, they immediately turned their weapons on Boris.

With all the commotion, Red was able to sneak away unnoticed and ran as fast as she possibly could away from the fighting. It was still dark, so she was unable to see where she was going, not that she really knew her way around anyway. She was certain to get lost if someone didn't find her soon.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Dangerous Lollipops

Red continued to run even though she had no idea where she was going. It was still pitch black and she could even hear animals howling in the distance. She noticed as she ran that it was growing colder. She realized must be headed in the direction of the Clover territory. Soon white flakes began to fall from the sky and she began to shiver from the cold. She would freeze if she didn't find her way back home quickly.

Red's eyes grew wide with hope when she saw a dull light in the distance. She picked up her pace and hurried toward the source. As she grew closer, she saw that it was a campfire. She also noticed a shadow of a man hunched over the fire. She approached him very cautiously and noticed a familiar looking red jacket lying on a nearby log.

"Ace?" Red called out in a quiet voice. He looked up and smiled brightly.

"Red? What are you doing out here? Come here before you freeze to death!" He said, beckoning her closer. Red came closer and sat next to him, glad to have a source of warmth.

"I was running away from Blood...and I got lost." Red explained.

"Blood tried to kill you huh? I'm not surprised." Ace said. Red gave him a questioning look.

"Blood, well, the whole Hatter mafia really, hates the Jokers with a passion." Ace said.

"Why?" Red asked, confused. What did the Jokers ever do to them.

"I'm not sure if the Jokers would want me to tell you this but, oh well. Elliot, the Hatters second in command, was imprisoned by the Jokers years ago for breaking the rules, and Blood helped him escape." Ace explained. Red was still confused, for she was still young and didn't quite understand the rules of this world. All she knew was that the Jokers imprisoned those who broke the rules. They didn't bother to explain it too much, for she didn't need to know until she was older.

"It's really not important right now. We should get some sleep. I'll help you find your way home tomorrow, okay?"

…

Red curled up in the corner of the tent with a blanket wrapped tightly around her and held her knees to her chest in an attempt to keep warm. Ace was perfectly fine on the other side of the tent, but he couldn't help but notice her shivering form. Chucking slightly, he grabbed the small girl and pulled her over to him. Red felt slightly uncomfortable being so close to him but didn't object, for although he was a bit suspicious, he was also very warm. Red was about to drift off to sleep when the bright light of a flashlight flashed in her face.

"There you are! Ace! Get your filthy f***ing hands off of her!" A familiar, angry sounding voice shouted. Two hands grabbed her and yanked her off of him. Ace sat up and grinned.

"Oh hey there Joker! What are you doing all the way out here?" He said.

"We're merely taking Red back home. Now, if you'll excuse us, we'll be going." White said, and let go of the tent flap before looking at Red in concern.

"Red, are you alright?" White asked.

"The f***er didn't do anything weird did he?" Black demanded. Red shook her head and yawned.

"Let's go home and get you to bed alright?" White said.

"Okay." Red yawned and rested her head on Black's shoulder. The Jokers hadn't gotten far before Red began to shiver violently.

"Wait a second Joker." White said and Black stopped, looking at him questioningly. White then took off his jacket and put it around Red.

"There, now let's hurry before she freezes!"

…

The three of them were now sitting on a couch in White's bedroom with Red sitting in between them. After they had gotten back to the prison, Red explained what had happened. The Jokers were beyond pissed and Black looked like he was ready to go and kill Blood right now.

"I'll kill that f***ing bastard!" Black shouted as he slammed his fist on the coffee table, nearly breaking it in half. Red jumped in surprise and clung to White.

"Now calm down, Joker. You're scaring Red." White said as he held Red. Black grumbled a reply and and tried to calm himself.

"But I do think we should take some precautions." White said.

"Like what?" Black asked. White snapped his fingers and a small white mask appeared in his hand. He took it and pinned it in the middle of Red's hairbow.

"Now if you're ever in trouble, you can just use this. Call us and we'll be there immediately alright?" White explained and Red nodded.

"We'll also need to get you a weapon of some sort, just in case." He said.

"A weapon?" Red questioned with a worried expression.

"You won't have to use it unless you absolutely have to. We'll have one ready for you soon." White said.

"What kind of weapon are we suppose to give her?" Black asked, unsure about the idea of giving her one.

"Something small, like a knife. I don't think a gun would be a good idea." White suggested.

"Well what about..." The two of them continued their conversation, discussing what would be the ideal weapon for little Red. Red was uninterested in their conversation, considering she didn't know the first thing about weapons. Within minutes, she had fallen asleep.

"Well then it's decided. What do you think about that Red?" White asked as he looked down at Red, who had fallen fast asleep on his shoulder.

"Oh, it looks like we'll have to wait until she wakes up. Now let's put her to bed shall we?" White said and lifted her up off the couch. Black followed as he carried her into her bedroom. As White got her changed and into bed, Black couldn't help but notice how plain her bedroom was. It wasn't like a normal little girl's bedroom. There were no toys scattered on the floor, or stuffed animals piled on the bed. The only thing that gave any hint that a little girl lived there was the little stuffed cat sitting at the head of the bed.

"Is there something wrong?" White asked, noticing Black's thoughtful expression.

"Haven't you noticed how boring this room is?" Black said.

"What do you mean?" White asked.

"She's a kid, but she has no toys or stuffed animals or any of that little girl crap." Black explained. White glanced around the room and nodded in agreement.

"You're right. We really should do something about that." White said, and suddenly smirked.

"What's so funny?" Black demanded.

"Oh nothing, it just amuses me how soft you're getting is all." White said as he left the room. Black just stood there for a moment before running after him.

"I'm not f***ing soft dammit!"

…

"Oh Red! We have a surprise for you!" White said as he entered her bedroom with Black following close behind, carrying a small wooden box. Red rubbed her eyes tiredly as she sat up. The Jokers sat down on the bed and Black handed the box to White.

"We have your weapon all ready for you!" White said excitedly as he held out the wooden box. Red took it hesitantly and and lifted up the lid. She stared questioningly at the object sitting at the bottom. It was just a lollipop. A simple red lollipop. She lifted it out of the box and flipped it over. There was nothing special about it at all.

"How am I supposed to defend myself with this?" Red asked. Black smirked and pushed the bottom of the lollipop's stick. In a split second, the seemingly harmless lollipop transformed into a knife. It was small and light with a red rose painted on the handle with a thick green stem wrapped around the blade.

"See? And to turn it back you just do this." White said and pressed against the bottom of the handle, turning it back into the red lollipop. Red looked at it in amazement.

"Now remember, only use it if you really need to. I don't want you getting yourself hurt okay?" White said.

"I will, thank you!" Red said happily. White chuckled and patted her head.

"You're welcome dear." White said.

"Yeah whatever..." Black muttered.

"Red? Are you in here?" A female voice called as the door opened, revealing Alice.

"Alice!" Red cried as she jumped off the bed and ran towards her.

"Hi there Red. Sorry it's been awhile." Alice apologized.

"It's alright Alice! I'm glad you're back!" Red said as she hugged Alice tightly.

"I'm glad to see you again too Red. Oh! Have you guys heard about the Roleholder's event at the Hatters?"

**So guys, what do you think about Red's weapon?**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

"Since it's around Halloween at the Hatter's territory, Blood is throwing a costume party." Alice explained. Black rolled his eyes in annoyance and White sighed.

"Is something wrong?" Alice asked as Red grew visibly upset.

"Yeah, Blood tried to f***ing shoot the kid!" Black exclaimed in anger. Alice frowned and tightened her grip on Red.

"Does she really have to go? Can't she just stay here?" Alice asked hopefully. White shook his head regretfully.

"It's against the rules. All roleholders have to attend these events." White said.

"No matter how f***ing stupid it is." Black grumbled.

"But don't worry Alice. We won't let anything happen to her." White assured. Alice looked unconvinced, but suddenly she smiled and her eyes lit up.

"Well, if it's a costume party, we'll have to get you a costume won't we Red?" Alice said, grinning brightly. Red looked to the Jokers desperately, but they just gave her a pitying look before Alice dragged her away.

…

Red frowned as she looked in the mirror. The event was starting soon and she was finishing up putting on the costume Alice had gotten for her. She had dragged her around for hours trying on various costumes before finally settling on this one. The costume consisted of a red hooded cape over a red dress with a white apron with a black ribbon tied around the middle. She also wore black and white striped socks and gloves and red mary jane shoes.

"Are you almost ready Red?" White asked from the hall. Red sighed and picked up a basket off the floor.

"I'm ready..." Red said as she opened the door.

"Little Red Riding Hood? How cute!" White exclaimed.

"That is the stupidest f***ing thing-" Black grumbled as he adjusted the witch's hat on his head. The Jokers wore identical costumes that included their usual gray shirts and black pants, a witch's hat, a dark red cape, and a red sash around their waists.

"It's perfect!" White said, interrupting Black, and lifted Red up off the ground.

"Now let's go."

…

When they arrived at the mansion, all of the other roleholders were already there. The event was being held outdoors, which was decorated with jack-o-lanterns, cobwebs, and fake spiders, typical Halloween stuff. There were tables full of sweets and candies and of course there was plenty of tea. Black seemed annoyed, but White was much more amused with the event. White held onto Red as they stood away from the crowd, keeping a lookout for any unfriendly roleholders. Red spotted Boris and Pierce standing not too far away. She tugged on White's sleeve to get his attention.

"Yes, Red?" He asked.

"Can I go play with Boris and Pierce?" Red asked, pointing in their direction.

"F*** no." Black said.

"But-"

"No."

"Sorry sweetie, but we can't risk you getting hurt." White said apologetically, patting her head softly. Red looked at him with wide pleading eyes.

"Please?" She begged in a tiny voice.

"Darling, it's just-" White started, his clock melting at the sight of her pleading face.

"We said no Red." Black said. Red turned to him, her bottom lip quivering.

"I mean it-"

"Pleeease?" She pleaded with misty eyes. Black could feel his stone cold demeanor chip away.

"I-I'm serious-" He stuttered, trying to sound stern. Red let out a whimper, her eyes widening.

"Alright! Fine! You can go!" Black gave in with an exasperated sigh, covering his blushing face with his hand.

"Yay!" Red cheered as she reached over and gave Black a hug before jumping down from White's arms. White turned and smirked at Black as Red ran off.

"Manipulated by a little girl. How soft." White chuckled.

"Shut up." Black muttered.

...

Red wandered over to where Boris and Pierce were arguing, right next to a table full of sweets. They were so wrapped up their argument that they didn't notice her approaching.

"Cheese flavored candy doesn't exist you idiot!"

"Why not?"

"Because that's stupid!"

"Boris! Pierce!" Red called. The immediately stopped what they were doing and turned to her. Pierce's eyes lit up upon seeing her.

"It's Red! She's so cute chu~!" Pierce exclaimed as he lifted her off the ground and squeezed her tightly. Boris rolled his eyes and ripped her out of his arms.

"Let go of her!" Boris shouted and set her back on her feet.

"Glad to see you're okay after that little incident." Boris said, ruffling her hair.

"And I got this from Gowland. It's a free pass to the park! Come by whenever you feel like it." Boris said.

"Thank you Boris!" Red said as she took it from him.

"You're welcome kid." Boris said with a grin. Suddenly Pierce jumped up in excitement.

"Look! It's Alice!" He exclaimed. The all turned to see her walking towards them, wearing a black and orange witch's costume, her eyes brimming with happiness upon seeing Red.

"You look so adorable!" She exclaimed, lifted her off the ground and squeezing her tight.

"Are you having fun Red?" Alice asked. Red nodding happily.

"Yeah! I like Boris!" She exclaimed. Boris looked at Pierce smugly.

"And Pierce!" She added, causing Pierce to smile brightly. Alice giggled and continued to fuss over her, hugging her and occasionally pinching her cheeks in delight.

"Alice, there you are. I'm glad you could make it, but why are you standing all the way over here?" Blood's voice asked from behind her. Alice's smile immediately turned to a frown and Red turned pale. Boris glared at him while Pierce hid behind the table. She handed Red over to Boris before turning to face him. She didn't respond, but instead raised her hand high and slapped him across the face as hard as she could. Blood's eyes widened in surprise as he reached up to touch the red mark on his face.

"Get away from me Blood! You're a horrible person and I don't want you anywhere near Red!" Alice shouted. Blood frowned and glared at the girl in his arms.

"She's nothing but a filthy Joker, yet you care for her more than me?" Blood demanded.

"Much more." Alice said.

"You will regret this Alice. And so will you little girl." Blood said threateningly before disappearing into the crowd. Alice turned to Red with an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry Red. But, I won't let him hurt you." Alice said.

"Neither will I." Boris said reassuringly.

"Me neither!" Pierce piped up as he came out of hiding. Alice giggled.

"I'm glad. Now I'm going to go back to Vivaldi. I'll let you stay with Boris and Pierce, alright?" Alice said. Red said goodbye and Alice left, leaving her alone with the two. They continued to play around, with Boris and Pierce occasionally bickering about something or another. Red was actually having fun, glad that she had come instead of hiding at home.

"Hey there Red!" All three of them turned to see Ace standing next to them, chugging down whatever it was he was drinking.

"Too bad the Jokers had to ruin our camping trip. It was just getting fun!" He said, causing Boris and Pierce glared at him.

"Here Red, have a drink." He said and handed her a glass. Red, too naïve for her own good, took a drink without hesitantion.

"Wait a second Red!" Boris said and reached out to take it from her, but it was too late. She had already drank half the glass. Red started to gag at the awful taste.

"Ace, what was that stuff?" She asked. Ace only laughed. Boris grabbed what was left and took a sip.

"You idiot! There was alcohol in that!" Boris shouted.

"I know~" Ace said. Boris ignored him and turned back to Red, but she was already gone.

"Where did she go?"

…

Red stumbled around, trying to find her way back to the Jokers, but she was so dizzy she couldn't see straight. Suddenly, she fell over backwards. She was about to get up when a shadow loomed over her.

"Well if it isn't the little Joker girl." Blood said with a glare. In her current state, Red couldn't run away. She just looked up at him with a scowl.

"Your hat is stupid." She said blankly. Blood's frown deepened and he lifted her up by the front of her shirt.

"And tea parties are for girls dummy."

"Look, just because this is a roleholder's event doesn't mean I can't kill you, you filthy little-"

Blood was interrupted by Red being ripped out of his hands by a very angry looking Black. Before he could react, White's fist hit him in the eye. Blood stumbled backwards and was caught by Elliot, who then dragged him away before he could get violent.

"Red, are you okay? That f***er didn't hurt you did he?" Black asked.

"I don't feel so good White." Red mumbled.

"I'm White dear, not him." White said as he checked her for any head injuries.

"What's wrong with her?" Black asked, growing increasingly concerned. Red stared up at him with her eyes half lidded and her face flushed.

"White, why are there two of you?" Red asked, glancing at them both. Black looked her over for any other signs of injury when he smelled the familiar scent of alcohol on her breath.

"She's drunk." Black deadpanned.

"Drunk? How did that happen?" White asked.

"Red, where did you get the alcohol from?" Black demanded.

"All I know is Ace gave me some really funny tasting stuff, and now I feel all funny." Red mumbled.

"That f***ing dumba**!" Black cursed. White just sighed.

"Let's just get her home."

…

"Where are we going White?" Red mumbled as she pulled on Black's hair.

"For the fifth time, we're going home! And I'm not White!" Black said as he removed her grabby hands. They were relieved when they finally reached their forest.

They immediately took Red to her bedroom, and after some struggling, they managed to get her into her nightgown and into bed. They were just about to leave when when Red grabbed onto Black's arm.

"Don't leeeave!" Red whined.

"Just go to sleep Red." Black said as he yanked his arm away. Red stared at him for a second before bursting into tears.

"F***!" Black growled as he slapped his hand to his forehead.

"Don't cry darling! Here." He said as he handed Red her stuffed cat.

"Yay!" Red immediately stopped crying and grabbed it gratefully, squeezing as tight as she could. Both Jokers sighed.

"Goodnight Red-" White started, but she was already out cold. He smiled and they exited the room.

"I think tonight went well."

"Shut the f*** up."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Stolen

Alice came by the day after the event to take Red to visit the castle. Vivaldi was upset that she hadn't gotten to see her at the party since she had left so early, and Alice feared the beheadings of many if she didn't bring her soon. And she had promised Red that there would be no frilly dresses. At first Black had said no, considering what had happened the night before, but eventually Red got him to agree using her favorite new trick.

When they arrived, Vivaldi was waiting for them for tea in the garden. Without Peter or Ace to bother them, they were free to talk and giggle as they pleased. Alice made a point to tell her about Red's new ability, which pleased Vivaldi greatly.

"So you've even gotten the Jokers wrapped around your finger. We're so proud of you!" Vivaldi gushed as they sipped their tea.

"But remember to use that little trick of yours sparingly, or it will lose it's effect. It will come in handy, especially when you get older." Vivaldi warned. Red made sure to take note. She continued to give her advice. How to bat her eyes just the right way, how to make the perfect pouty face, and many other useful tips.

"Use these, and the Jokers won't know what hit them." Vivaldi said.

"Oh they are in for a surprise when you hit your teen years." She continued. Alice nodded in agreement.

"Just wait until she gets a boyfriend~!" Alice giggled. Red made a face at the thought.

"Gross." Red mumbled with a scowl.

"Oh darling, you'll attract any man with half a brain!" Vivaldi exclaimed.

"If the Jokers don't kill him first." Alice said and Vivaldi laughed.

"And if any man is foolish enough to break your heart, we will personally have him beheaded!" Alice chuckled, although she knew Vivaldi was perfectly serious.

"I don't want a boyfriend. Boys have cooties." Red said, causing both women to laugh.

"That is very true my dear. Remember that when one of them tries to capture your heart." Vivaldi said, still chuckling. After a little more chatting, Alice decided it was time to leave.

"I know this visit was short, but Black made it very clear that she was to be back within this time period." Alice said as she stood up from her chair.

"What overprotective guardians they are. Oh well, be sure to visit again soon!" Vivaldi said as she gave Red a hug goodbye.

"We will! Goodbye Vivaldi!" Alice said as they walked off.

...

They had almost made it back when it turned to evening. It wasn't completely dark, but they had little time before it would be. Alice suddenly grew worried and stopped in her tracks.

"Wait a second Red. Did you hear that?" Alice asked as she looked around suspiciously. Red heard a snap of a twig before several figures came out from the trees. There were three of them, and they were all armed. Alice pushed Red behind her and began to back away.

"Give us the Joker girl and we'll leave you alone." The leader of the group said.

"No! Get away from her! I won't let you have her!" Alice cried.

"Then I guess we'll have to take her from you." He said before running towards them, knife in hand. In a panic, Red took the lollipop the Jokers had given her and transformed it into it's weapon form. She was definitely glad that they had given it to her. It's just too bad she had no idea how to use it. They dodged the man's attack, but the others came right after.

"Joker! Help!" She shouted into the small white mask. One of them saw what she was doing and ripped it from her hair before throwing it the ground and crushing it in the dirt.

"Ah! Let go!" Red whipped her head around to see that one of the men had gotten a hold of Alice. She kicked and yelled but he held on tight. By her bloody nose and busted lip, it was obvious he had not been gentle. Another man came for Red, and in desperation she took the knife and held in front of her defensively.

"Let's go you little brat! The Jokers are gonna pay for what they've done!" He shouted as he grabbed her. She let out a screech and jammed the knife into his arm. Despite her small size and lack of strength, she managed to harm him pretty severely, enough to make him let go. He grabbed his arm and grunted in pain. He looked to the other man and shouted.

"Get that f***ing kid!" The man grabbed her off the ground and ripped the knife out of her hand. He nodded to the other man and he threw Alice to the ground.

"Stop!" She shouted as they carried Red away. She attempted to get up and chase after them, but she was too injured to walk and fell back to the ground.

…

Red cried as she was carried through the darkened forest by the men. She had no idea what they would do to her, but she wasn't sure she wanted to know. They stayed quiet as they made their way to wherever it was they were going. It was dead silent except for the sound of Red's sobbing.

Soon she saw a dull light up ahead. As they drew closer, she saw that it was a small cabin in the middle of the woods. One of them kicked open the door and the man carrying her threw her to the floor. She sat up and backed up against the wall, shivering in fear. The cabin was mostly empty with a dusty couch in the corner of the room and a beaten up table with a knife stuck in the center. There was a small kitchen to the right, with cobweb filled cabinets and dirty counter tops. A short hallway lead to three rooms in the back of the cabin. In the light, she could see the men more clearly. They were all faceless as expected. The man that was carrying her had dark brown hair and a tattoo of a spade on his neck with an ugly sneer on his face. Another man, the leader, was tall and pale and had black hair with one ear pierced, smiling with false friendliness. The last one had dirty blonde hair with a scar underneath where his right eye should be and blank, emotionless look upon his face.

"Now what?" The brunette asked. The leader pulled out a camera from his pocket and walked towards Red.

"Now we let them know we have her." He said and crouched in front of her.

"Smile for the camera sweetheart." He said as he snapped the picture. He scrawled something on the back of it and handed it to the blonde.

"Deliver this. And don't get caught, or you're f***ed." He instructed. The man nodded headed out the door.

"Now what do we do with her?" The brunette asked.

"For now, nothing." He responded.

"Nothing? What about making her scream and cry? What about beating her until those f***ing Jokers won't even be able to recognize her? ! What about revenge? !" The brunette demanded.

"In due time." The leader said and walked over to Red. He lifted her up and walked over to the nearest door. Throwing it open, he tossed her inside and slammed the door shut, locking it behind him. The room was empty and almost completely black except for the small sliver of moonlight that shone through the window. She attempted to open the window, but, as she expected, it was locked. Defeated, she crawled to the corner of the room and hid her face in her knees.

…

Alice limped the rest of the way to the circus, using the trees for support. Her ankle was badly sprained, and her right eye was swollen so badly she couldn't see out of it, but she had to get to the Jokers before it was too late.

She finally reached the circus when she saw White standing just a few feet away. She let go of the tree she was holding onto and hurried towards him as fast as she could in her current state. She fell down face first right behind him. He turned around and gasped.

"Alice? Are you alright? What happened?" He asked as he helped her up.

"And where the f*** is Red?" Black demanded from the mask.

"T-they took her..." Alice said weakly as White held her up. White ordered several employees to take care of Alice while he ran off into the forest in a desperate attempt to find her before she was hurt.

…

Black stayed in the prison, pacing back and forth in his room. They had so many enemies, it could've been anyone! He slammed the door of his bedroom and he stormed down the hall to his office. He grabbed a pile of unfinished paperwork and tried to distract himself. In the middle of his work, he noticed something sitting on his desk. He snatched it up and was filled with a mix of horror and anger. It was a picture of Red, cowering against a wall with tears in her eyes. He slammed his fist down on the desk, creating a large crack. He flipped it over, and on it was a short message reading "We have her".


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16:Revenge

Red hadn't slept the entire night. She was too afraid to sleep. The light of day came through the window, and she knew they would be coming any time now. She hoped Alice was okay, for they had hurt her pretty bad from what she could see. Surely Alice would get help. The Jokers would come before they could hurt her. Red told herself these things as she hugged her knees to her chest.

"Black... White... where are you?" She mumbled as she shivered in fear.

Suddenly the door opened. The black haired man stood in the doorway, smirking evilly. Red covered her face with her hands as he came towards her. He yanked her up by the collar of her shirt and dragged her out of the room. He threw her roughly into a chair that was placed in the middle of the room. She didn't struggle as he tied her hands and feet together and tied a cloth around her mouth. The man grabbed his camera and aimed it towards her before frowning with a look of frustration.

"She isn't crying! Make her cry!" He demanded. The brunette took the cigarette from his mouth and grinned.

"My pleasure." He said as he walked over to her. She whimpered as he pushed her hair away from her neck, revealing her soft, vulnerable flesh. She let out a screech as he pressed the end of the cigarette against the base of her neck, burning her skin. Tears began to flow and he twisted it into her skin. He then tossed it to the ground, leaving her sobbing in pain.

"Perfect." He said as he raised the camera. He snapped the second picture and laid it down on the table. Then he grabbed a pair of scissors out of a nearby drawer. He took the scissors and snipped off a lock of her hair. He taped it to the back of the photo and handed to the blonde.

"You know what to do."

…

Shortly after Alice was treated, White returned from his search. He had found nothing of interest, except for Red's discarded weapon and the remains of her mask, and the workers he sent into the forest were also unsuccessful. Alice did her best to describe them, but it was dark in the forest, and with them being faceless, their features were not very distinct. White had a few of his employees take her back to the tower and they continued the investigation. When they returned to Black's office, they were greeted with yet another picture. White lifted up the picture and was filled with rage. It was Red, crying, gagged and tied down to a chair. But what infuriated him most was the lock of hair they had cut from her precious little head and sent to them in an attempt to torment them. White held the soft, red lock in his hand and his eyes dangerously narrowed as his frowned deepened as he growled through gritted teeth.

"This f***er will pay."

…

Red had been sitting tied to that chair the entire night. The two men took turns taunting her all day, occasionally getting physically violent when she didn't respond. There was a bruise forming on her cheek from where she had been struck earlier, and various other marks on her body due to the constant torment by the men. They finally stopped to rest when it turned to night, but now it was day, and the torment was about begin all over again. But, before they could start, the blonde man finally returned from delivering the picture.

"What the f*** took so damn long?" The leader demanded as he stepped through the door.

"You never said I had to come straight back. Besides, look what I got while I was delivering that stupid picture." He said and pulled out a very familiar, and very frightening object. It was Black's whip that he had stolen from his office. Red shivered with fear as she realized what they were planning. The leader grinned menacingly as he took it from him and walked towards Red.

"Untie her!" He demanded, pointing towards the brunette. He did as his leader said and untied her before throwing her to the floor. The leader stood above her, tapping the whip against his palm.

"We're going to give you the same punishment that those damn Jokers have been giving out for years!" He snarled as he raised the whip into the air and brought it down harshly onto her back. She screamed as it snapped against her skin, ripping her clothing and producing a dark red welt. He struck her again, this time drawing blood. She curled into a tight ball, covering her face with her hands, wailing each time it came into contact with her. After about twenty five hits, the man finally stopped for a moment to inspect his work. There were marks covering her entire body, along her arms, down her legs, and across her back. She was bleeding quite a bit and her clothes were ripped to shreds. Her legs twitched painfully as she fought to sit up. He was about to continue when she looked up at the man desperately, silently pleading for him to stop.

"Why?" She whimpered in agony. The man put down the whip and sneered at her.

"Why? WHY? ! You want to know WHY? !" He shouted down at her trembling form.

"Because those f***ing Jokers have locked us all away. They treated us so horribly it's a miracle we made it out alive. We were beaten, tortured, and starved! They've hurt and killed thousands of us faceless without so much as a second thought! So we've taken something that they love, and we will torment them with it, showing them what we've done to you until the day we end your pathetic life." He said glaring down at her with eyes full of hatred. He turned away from her to grab the camera and snapped another picture of her before tossing it to the blonde.

"Here, don't take so f***ing long this time." He said as he shoved it into his hand.

"Oh f*** no. You can do it this time! I'm sick of risking my a** to deliver these damn things!" He said, passing it back to his leader.

"Fine. I'll take it. You two can stay here and deal with that." He said, pointing towards Red, who laid motionless on the floor. Their leader left and the two men grinned at each other evilly before moving towards Red.

"Joker..." She called weakly as she was lifted up from the floor.

"Joker can't help you now, little girl. You're all ours."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Rescue

Black kicked aside the corpse of another inmate as he made his way down the hall. Blood was splattered on the ground and sprayed on the walls as a result of his rampage. At least a dozen bodies were scattered along the hall, all victims of his uncontrollable rage due to the lack of progress in the search for Red. White hurried after him, stepping over the many corpses that got in his way.

White followed Black down the hall to Black's office. They had yet to find any leads, or even the slightest bit of evidence. Alice was alright, and had already been by several times to see if they had found her. They knew they didn't have much time, and they were growing more frantic every day. White had postponed multiple shows he had planned, and skipped every practice since Red had disappeared. Nearly half of the prisoners had been killed by Black in an attempt to calm himself down.

Black opened the door and they were greeted with a surprise. A tall man with jet black hair and a single earring was standing by the desk, photograph in hand. His eyes grew wide in shock and fear as he dropped the picture and backed away. White grabbed him by the throat and pinned him against the wall while Black picked up the photograph from the floor. He looked at it for a moment before ripping it in half and throwing it to the ground in a rage. He grabbed the frightened man out of White's grip and shook him violently.

"Where. The. F***. Is. She."

…

The blonde man laid Red down on a table as the brunette yanked the knife out of the rotted wood. The blonde man held her arms above her head as she kicked and struggled, but she was weakened from the abuse and fighting was useless. She trembled in fear and was blinded by the tears that streamed down her face. Her throat was so raw from the constant screaming that all she could force out a choked cry as the man smirked at her with the knife in his hand. The grip on her wrists tightened as he came closer, almost crushing them in his grasp. The brunette brushed the hair away from her eye and used one hand to keep her head still.

"Hmm, two eyes." He muttered with sadistic grin.

"That's not like the other Jokers at all. We should fix that." He held the knife above her face, aimed at her left eye. She let out another hoarse cry as she thrashed violently trying to break free. He brought the knife closer, the sharp tip just centimeters from her eye when a loud bang made him stop.

Red looked around frantically to see that the door was kicked down, and the Jokers stood in the doorway, murderous intent clear in their eyes. The man dropped the knife on the floor and jumped back while the other let go of Red and left her on the table as he backed away. Black pointed his gun towards the brunette and fired. The bullet burst through his chest and the blood splattered on the wall behind him. The other man tried to run, but White threw a knife, hitting him in the chest. He dropped to ground, unmoving. Black kicked the corpse and it's arm twitched, signaling he was still alive. He brought his boot down on his neck, snapping it instantly.

The Jokers ran to Red's side. She looked up them weakly, reaching out to them desperately. Black was frozen with disbelief at he looked at the little girl. She looked so fragile he was afraid to touch her in fear he might break her. White lifted her off the table, holding her gently as he stroked her hair. Red laid her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck as tight as she could in her current state.

"It's alright Red. We're right here. We're gonna take you home."

…

Red was in horrible shape. Bruises and slashes covered her body. She had been starved and was severely dehydrated. She hadn't even slept since she had been taken away. She laid down on her stomach on White's bed as the Jokers tended to her injuries. Black dabbed her wounds with a disinfectant covered cotton ball as White held her hand in an attempt to console her. She whimpered slightly as her wounds stung as they were treated.

"I know it hurts darling, but we're almost done." White said as he rubbed her head comfortingly and Black continued to disinfect her wounds. Once her wounds were treated they carefully got her into her nightgown. Her clothes were badly torn and would need to be fixed.

Black held her protectively on his lap, petting her head gently and doing everything he could to comfort her. White came into the room carrying a tray and sat it down on the nightstand. He picked up a glass of water and held it up to her lips.

"Here sweetheart, drink this." He said and tilted the glass into her mouth. She gulped it down quickly, glad to have something to quench her awful thirst. Once the glass was empty, he set it back down on the tray. He then reached for a bowl of soup and dipped a spoon into the steaming liquid. Blowing on it gently to cool it down, he placed the spoon into her mouth. He finished feeding her and they put her to bed. They then laid down beside her, assuring her she was safe.

She clung to them as if someone would take her away from them. White held her from behind, careful to avoid touching her wounds, while Black held her from the front. Knowing that she was safe within the Joker's grasp, she was finally able to sleep peacefully.

…

When the Jokers awoke, Red was still sleeping between them. She still had her arms wrapped tightly around Black's waist, snuggling her face into his chest. Black tried to pry her arms off of him, but White stopped him.

"Just let her sleep." He said quietly.

"What am I supposed to do? Just lie here until she wakes up?" Black whispered.

"She's exhausted. Don't disturb her." He said and got out of bed. Black glared at him as he left the room, leaving him with Red attached to him. Black looked down at her as he smiled slightly at the sight of her sleeping face. She really was a good kid, and he knew he cared about her just as much as White or Alice did, if not more.

Red whined slightly in her sleep. She sounded afraid. Black tightened his grip on her and gently petted her head.

"Joker..." She called out quietly.

"I'm right here." Black mumbled, lightly rubbing her back, careful not to inflict any pain.

"Black?" She said, louder, more alert this time. He looked at her, her eyes were now wide open, brimming with tears. He sat up and pulled her onto his lap, wiping away her tears.

"Don't be afraid. You're safe now." He said in soft voice she'd never heard him use before. She looked up at him, her eyes free of tears, and hugged him tightly. He returned the hug and smiled softly at her.

"How are you feeling kid?" He asked, sweeping her hair out of face.

"It hurts..." She mumbled.

"I know it does Red. But you'll feel better soon, I promise." He said. Then the door opened, revealing White carrying another tray with a cup of tea and eggs with toast.

"Here darling. You really need to eat if you want to build up your strength again." He said. Red thanked him and sipped her tea. White asked her repeatedly if she needed help, but she assured him she was fine. Although she was still weakened from the ordeal, she was much stronger than when they had first found her.

After she had finished, Black had to catch up on some work around the prison while White stayed behind with Red. He had decided that she was in need of a bath. He lifted Red out of his bed and carried her to the bathroom that was connected to his bedroom. He started the water and helped her undress. He undid the buttons on her nightgown and pulled it over her head. Once the bathtub was filled he helped her in. He rubbed the shampoo in her messy hair, scowling as he noticed the little red dot on the base of her neck, which he could tell was caused by a cigarette.

"How did you find me White?" Red asked as he rinsed the suds out of her hair.

"We walked in on one of them delivering a photograph. And he generously told us where you were being kept." White explained with grin, with evil hidden deep beneath as he gently rubbed a soapy cloth over her back, careful not to cause her any pain.

"What happened to him?" Red asked. There was something about the look in his eye that made her feel very uneasy.

"Oh, he's nice and safe in a prison cell. He won't hurt you anymore." He said as he helped her out of the bathtub and wrapped her in a towel. After she was dried off, he got her back into her nightgown and carried her over to the couch. Setting her on his lap, he ran a hairbrush through her hair, carefully brushing out all the knots and tangles. Once he was done, he put her back to bed. He pulled the covers over her and pressed his lips against her forehead.

"Get some rest darling. I'll be back to check on you soon." He said.

He smiled evilly as he walked out into the hallway, his eye full of bloodlust as he went to join Black to "play" with a certain prisoner.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Trauma

White opened the large metal door at the end of the prison hall. Inside, Black was waiting with the man responsible for Red's kidnapping. The room was dim, with only a single light hanging above the chair the man was tied to. A metal cart stood next to Black, full of various terrifying tools. Black held a pair of scissors in his hand, blood dripping off of them onto the concrete floor. The man had blood running from his mouth as he made grotesque gurgling noises.

"Aw~ You started without me! How mean!" White said as joined his counterpart's side.

"The f***er kept begging and screaming. It was f***ing annoying!" He growled as he dropped the pair of scissors onto the cart, blood splattering onto the other tools. White grinned as he picked up a pair of wire cutters and opened and closed them in an intimidating way in front of the man's face.

"So, you thought you could just take our precious little Red?" He said with the man's thumb between the sharp edges of the wire cutters. He only moaned in reply. There was a sickening snip and the snap of a bone as his thumb fell to ground, blood oozing onto the floor. The man let out a muffled scream and the Jokers laughed in unison at the man's pain.

"And did you really think you could hurt our little darling without having to suffer the consequences?" White continued as there was another snap, and blood sprayed onto his face.

"You sick little f***er." Black growled as he twirled a knife in his hand.

"How about we finish where you left off?" Black said as he brought the knife to his eye.

…

Red sat up in bed and looked around the room. She felt a sharp sting and notice a dark red stain on her pillow. A wound on her arm had opened up and was bleeding quite a bit. She picked up the mask on the nightstand and held it up.

"Black? White?" She called. They didn't answer. Their masks must've been turned off. She slid out of bed and walked to the door. Walking was difficult, her legs still covered in slashes. She headed down the hallway and checked Black's bedroom.

"Black?" She called, but he wasn't there. She moved to his office and looked in there.

"Black? White?" She called again, but they weren't there either. She sighed and continued down the hall and wandered into the forbidden parts of the prison. She held her arm as she walked down the rows of cells. There was an open door at the end of the hall that she had been strictly told to never open. Curiosity got the better of her and she approached the door. She poked her head in and froze in fear.

In the middle of the room sat the leader of the group that had kidnapped her, although he was hardly recognizable anymore. He was badly mutilated, with all ten fingers nothing but stubs, two large holes in his head where his eyes should be, his mouth dripping with blood, and his abdomen cut open. The Jokers standing next to him, splattered with the man's blood and laughing hysterically as the man moaned in pain. Standing in the doorway, she stared at horrific scene before her. She let out a barely audible squeak, but the Jokers heard. They whipped around and their eyes grew wide at the sight of the frightened little girl.

"Red!" They exclaimed. At the sound of her name being called she snapped out of her trance. It only took her a second to bolt from the spot and run down the hall as fast as she could. Her legs ached but her fear kept her running. She ignored the Joker's calls as she sprinted out of the prison.

…

Snow began to fall as she ran. It was freezing, and she was only wearing her thin, pale blue nightgown. Blood continued to drip from her arm and into the soft white snow on the ground, dyeing it with little drops of crimson. Blinded by frightened tears, she failed to notice the man in her path. She ran straight into him, falling backwards onto to the cold, hard ground. She looked up, and through her tears she was able to recognize the man she had run into.

"Red? Is that you?" She was immediately lifted off the ground by a very concerned Gray. He took in her terrified state, along with the slashes and bruises that covered her body.

"What happened to you? And what are you doing all the way out here?" He asked as he wrapped his arms around her in order to keep her warm.

"J-Joker!" She stuttered, unable to reply. His eyes narrowed dangerously as he jumped to conclusion.

"Don't worry Red. I'll take care of you."

...

Gray opened the door to the tower and was met by the questioning eyes of Julius.

"I'm used to you bringing in stray animals, but stray children? That's new." Julius grumbled as he passed him down the hallway. Gray ignored him as he walked down the hall to his own room. He laid her down on the bed and called for one of the servants to take care of her wound while he went to retrieve a certain woman.

…

"Red! Sweetie are you alright?" Alice frantically asked as she ran into the room. Alice nearly fainted as she saw the condition she was in.

"Oh what did those awful men do to you? !" She exclaimed. Her own injuries had healed, and she had dodged the questions the other roleholders had asked, blowing it off as an accident. Very few knew about Red's disappearance. Only the Jokers, Alice, and White's faceless employees knew of the incident. Well, and Nightmare too, but that's no surprise.

Alice sat down next to her and hugged her tightly, fighting back tears at her injured state.

"I'm alright Alice, really." Red assured. Alice pulled back, but stayed right next to her.

"Now why were you out in the middle of town? You could've frozen out there! And you're in no condition to be out on your own!" Alice lightly scolded.

"I went to find the Jokers, and t-they were..." Red began, but started to cry again before she could finish.

"They were torturing her kidnapper." Alice turned to see Nightmare leaning against the doorway.

"What?" Alice asked in disbelief.

"Poor little Red walked in on the torturing session of her captor. It was quite graphic I'm afraid." He continued as he sauntered into the room.

"No wonder she's so shaken up. First the kidnapping, and now this!" Alice cried.

"She's been quite traumatized. I'm not sure if her mental state will be able to handle much more." He said, standing next to her and staring down at Red.

"What do you mean?" Alice asked.

"I'm afraid if she's forced to endure anymore trauma, she might actually go... insane." Nightmare said solemnly.

"Insane?" Alice said, looking at the girl who was crying to loudly to even hear them.

"Yes, insanity comes with the role of the Joker. Normally it happens much more slowly over time, but she's so young..." He trailed off.

"But there might be something I can do."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Memories

Red woke up and blinked in confusion. This wasn't her bedroom, and why did everything hurt so much? She threw the covers off of her and got out of bed. Her body was covered in slashes and bruises that she didn't remember getting. The last thing she remembered she was walking home from the castle with Alice.

"Red you're awake!" She turned to see Alice sitting in a chair across the room. She immediately got up and ran to her side.

"How are you feeling Red?" She asked. Red rubbed her head and winced slightly.

"My head hurts... and so does everything else." She mumbled.

"It must have been because of that fall." Alice said.

"Fall?" Red questioned.

"We got separated in the forest. When I found you, you had fallen and hit your head, and you had marks all over your body. We were really close to the Clover territory, so I took you here." Alice lied smoothly.

"I wanna see Black and White..." Red mumbled. Alice smiled and picked her up out of bed.

"Okay, I'll take you home."

…

Alice carried Red back to the circus. Red seemed much happier now that she couldn't remember any of those traumatizing events. Alice saw White standing near the opening of the circus tent. He looked pretty upset.

"White!" Alice called. He turned around and was surprised to see Alice carrying a happy, smiling, Red in her arms. Red reached out for him, and he took her from Alice's arms with a look of confusion.

"Hey Red, I think Black would be happy to see you, don't you think?" Alice said.

"Okay!" She said and jumped down from White's arms and went off to the prison. White just stared back at Alice questioningly.

"But she-"

"She can't remember. None of it." Alice said.

"Nightmare took her memories of the kidnapping. I told her she got lost in the forest and hit her head." Alice explained. White looked relieved.

"But if you are ever careless enough to let her see something like that again, I will gladly take her back to the tower, permanently." Alice warned, narrowing her eyes. White raised his hands in a defensive manner.

"It will never happen again, Alice. I promise." White said.

"It better not. Now I've got to get back to the tower. I'll come by again soon." Alice said as she waved goodbye and headed off towards the exit.

"Goodbye Alice!"

…

Back in the prison, Red was busy searching for a certain redheaded warden. She had already checked his bedroom, and now she moved onto his office. She opened the door slowly and saw Black sitting at his desk, feet propped up on the desk, arms behind his head, with his hat covering his face. She snuck over to him silently and stood beside him. She carefully climbed onto his lap and lifted his hat off his face. His eyes were shut and he was snoring lightly. She placed his hat on her head, one end slipping over her face, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

His eye shot open and he stared at her in surprise. Red giggled and hugged him, oblivious to his confusion. Black hugged her back, and looked to see White in the doorway, just standing there smiling like always. He gave him a questioning look, and White just nodded in response.

"Red darling, we would like to show you something. It's a surprise!" White said, motioning her to follow him. Black stood up from his chair and carried her over to him. White walked down the hallway towards a room at the end of the hall and Black followed after him. He stopped for a moment in front of the door before opening it. Flicking on the lights, Red saw what they had done.

The room that she had assumed was empty was completely furnished. There was a canopy bed in the corner with dark red curtains that hung over it with a black comforter with a big red rose on it. Her sheets were black and red checkered and there were multiple fluffy pillows at the head of her bed. Some were striped, some were plain, and some were decorated with roses. There were also many stuffed animals piled onto her bed, including a panda, a rabbit, several teddy bears, and various other animals. And of course Liam was placed at the front of the pile.

There was a black nightstand with red painted roses and a matching dresser. There was also a vanity that matched the other two pieces of furniture, although the Jokers assumed it wouldn't be very useful until she was older. A desk stood next to the dresser, covered with crayons, colored pencils, markers, paints, and any form of art supplies she could think of. There was a bookshelf beside the vanity, already stocked with dozens of children's books.

A toybox sat in the corner, overflowing with the various toys the Jokers had gotten. There was also a very large, fancy looking dollhouse with handcrafted wooden furniture. A small, child-sized table with four chairs was placed on the other side of the room. Plastic tea cups and plates were arranged around the table and seated in three of the chairs were beautiful porcelain dolls.

"What do you think Red?" White asked, smiling sweetly at her.

"I love it! Thank you!" Red cried, her eyes filled with joy.

"You're welcome sweetheart." White said as he lifted her out of Black's arms and held her tightly.

"Hey! Don't steal all the credit! I had as much to do with it as you did!" Black said.

"Of course, it was very kind of you to repair a bunch of those old broken toys for her." White said.

"Not to mention doing all of the heavy lifting." Black grumbled.

"I was busy getting all of those stuff animals! And who do you think painted all of the roses?" White said defensively. Red only giggled at them.

"And who do you think carved all that dollhouse furniture?" Black argued. Red reached out and hugged Black tightly, silencing any further arguing.

"Thank you, Black." Red said. Black smiled and took his hat back, placing it on his head.

"No problem kid." He said and ruffled her hair. White looked over and realized Red was still in her nightgown from the previous night. He walked over to her dresser and pulled out her usual outfit. It had been completely stitched up so that it looked as good as new. Her other clothes she had been given by Vivaldi were stuffed in the bottom drawer, and the dress that Red hated so much was hanging in the back of her closet. He went back over to her and held up the stack of clothing.

"You can't stay in that all day! Let's get you changed darling." He said as he took Red and set her on the floor. They got her into her clothes and decided to leave her in her room while they got caught up on their work. Red was happy to have so much to do while the Jokers were busy. Normally she was forced to wander around aimlessly around the circus, or stay in her room waiting for one of them to get back. She smiled excitedly as she grabbed her stuffed friend. She was lucky to have guardians that cared about her so much.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: A Little Help

**This chapter's a bit short, but it's more of a filler than an actual chapter. Hope you enjoy it anyway!**

Later that day, Red sat on the floor next to Black, who was currently working on fixing a cell door that had come unhinged, most likely due to the constant abuse from Black himself. This was just one of the many he had to fix. Red sat and watched him as he worked, fiddling with the hinge as he screwed it back on. Even though she now had a room full of toys and other forms of entertainment, she still preferred to spend time with the Jokers as much as she could. He had finished putting in one screw and reached for another when he realized something.

"F***!" He exclaimed. Red looked up at him.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"I don't have enough screws to fix all these doors! Now I'll have to go into town and buy some more! And I still have so much paperwork to do, not to mention the executions I have planned for today. I don't have time for this!" He exclaimed in frustration.

"Exe- what?" Red questioned. Black looked into her wide innocent eyes and shook his head.

"Nothing Red." He said and sighed.

"Looks like I'll have to put off work again." He said as he stood up.

"I could get them for you!" Red said, eager to help out.

"Oh no, I'm not letting you go into town by yourself. It's too dangerous" Black said.

"But it's only a few minutes away! And you said you were busy! Besides, I have this!" Red said, holding up the lollipop they had given her. Black sighed again, knowing that weapon did her no good.

"And I can call you for help if something does happen! Pleeease?" She begged.

"Alright, alright, you can go. Go straight there and back, don't talk to anyone, stay on the main road, and call us if anything happens, got it?" He said.

"Okay!" She agreed.

"This should be enough for the screws. When you get to town, there will be a small brick building three shops down on your right." He said and handed her some money, which she put in her pocket.

"Take this and give it to the shopkeeper. Tell him you need two boxes of them alright?" Black said, and handed her a screw. She nodded and put it in her pocket along with the money.

"Okay, goodbye Black!" She said and began walking out of the prison.

"Be careful!" He shouted as she disappeared from sight.

…

Red skipped happily down the road. She was really excited about being able to help the Jokers. She couldn't do any of the work in the prison, and she wasn't ready to perform in the circus, so she was willing to do anything she could.

Buildings came into view and Red realized she had made it to town. There were dozens of them up and down the streets in many different sizes. To the left there was a tea shop, and next to it there was book store, and then one that appeared to be an antique store. On the right there was a little restaurant, a clothing store, and the store that Black had instructed her to go to. She walked down the sidewalk and stopped in front of the store. It looked quite run down. It's roof was missing shingles and it had a broken window. There was a sign on the front of the store, but so much paint had chipped away it was unreadable.

Checking to make sure the money and the screw were still in her pocket, she entered the store. A bell above the door rang out, alerting the shopkeeper he had a customer.

"I'll be right with you!" A voice called from the back. Red walked up to the counter and stood on the tips of her toes in order to see over it. A few moments later, the door behind the counter opened and a man walked out. He was an older man with graying hair. He approached the counter and looked around with a confused expression.

"Down here mister!" Red said. The shopkeeper looked down and smiled at her.

"Oh hello there young lady! What can I do for you?" He asked in a friendly voice. Red pulled the screw out of her pocket and handed it to him.

"I need two boxes of those please." She said politely.

"No problem!" He said and turned around. He pulled open a drawer, pulled out two boxes and placed them on the counter and Red handed him the money.

"Did your daddy send you?" He asked as he placed the screws in a paper bag.

"My big brother actually!" She said unknowingly as she took the bag. She wasn't sure where that had come from, but it just slipped out.

"What a helpful little girl you are! You be careful now!" He said as she turned to leave.

"I will! Thank you mister!"

…

Red walked down the prison hallway with the bag in her hand as she searched for Black. She finally spotted him as she turned a corner. He was busy inspecting some of the locks on the cell doors that some prisoners had managed to escape from.

"Blaaack~!" She called as she hurried towards him. He turned around and gave a sigh of relief, for he hadn't stopped worrying since she had left.

"I got them!" She declared as she handed him the bag. He took it from her and inspected them, making sure they were the correct ones. Seeing as they were, he knelt down and patted her head affectionately.

"Thanks kid. You did a good job." He said. Red smiled and hugged him.

"You're welcome big bro-" Red abruptly stopped, realizing what she was about say. He raised an eyebrow at her questioningly.

"I mean, you're welcome...Black."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Family

Red sighed as she sat at the small table in her bedroom. Liam sat in her lap, and the three porcelain dolls sat in their own chairs. A black haired doll wearing a dark purple dress sat to her left. A blonde doll with a light blue dress sat to her right. And across from her sat a doll with apple red hair and a black dress. She had named them Genevieve, Molly, and Isabelle. They stared back at her with blank eyes, unable to speak up and give her advice with her dilemma. She didn't really understand what was so great about this whole "pretend" thing. Maybe it would be more fun if there was another person, but to her it just felt... lonely. Normally she would be with one of the Jokers, but she just didn't feel like it right now.

White was preparing for a show he had postponed several times already, and Red needed to be a away from Black for awhile. She was upset and a bit embarrassed about what had happened earlier. She nearly called Black her big brother. Luckily he didn't notice, for she had no idea how he would react to that.

Red knew her situation wasn't normal. Other children had a mother and father, siblings, a family. Red had the Jokers. They weren't related in any way, yet they were like a family to her. Would it be okay to consider them as her big brothers? What did they see her as anyway? A little sister? Or just some stupid kid they were forced to look after? She knew she saw them as much more than just a caretaker.

Suddenly, her bedroom door opened. She turned and saw Alice walking in, her eyes full of surprise when she saw what the Jokers had done.

"Oh my! They really did a good job. I never thought that interior design would be one of their talents, let alone for a little girls room." Alice said with a laugh as she joined Red.

"Is there any room for me?" Alice asked as she looked at the dolls with an amused grin.

"Yeah! You can take Molly's place. You kind of look like her anyway." Red said as she picked up the doll and placed her on a shelf before returning to the table.

"So how are you feeling Red? Is your head better?" Alice asked.

"Yeah, it's fine I guess." Red replied. Alice couldn't help but notice the hint of frustration in her voice.

"Is something wrong Red? You seem upset." Alice said, concerned about whatever it was that was troubling her.

"It's just that... well... I almost called Black..." Red began.

"Called him what sweetie?" Alice encouraged.

"I almost called him my big brother." Red said with a blush forming on her face, tightening her grip on Liam. Alice's eyes lit up as she reached over and squeezed her.

"Aww! That's so adorable! But why are you upset?" Alice asked.

"Well, is he? Can I really call either one of them that?" She asked. Alice paused and smiled at her.

"Well lets see, they take care of you, they give you toys, they cheer you up when you're sad, fix you up when you're hurt, and worry about you constantly. I'd say they're as close to your big brothers as they can get." Alice said as she patted her head.

"Call them big brothers if you want to. Although I'd really like to see the look on Black's face when he hears it for the first time." Alice giggled.

"Alright, thank you Alice." Red said as she hugged Alice lightly.

"Don't mention it. Also, I have some exciting news!" Alice said. Red pulled back and looked at her curiously.

"There's another roleholder's event coming up! But don't worry, this time it will be at the amusement park." Alice said.

"What is it?" Red asked.

"It's going to be a pool party. I already let Black and White know about it. Sounds like fun right?" Alice said excitedly.

"Yeah!" Red exclaimed.

"Oh, and don't worry about getting a swimsuit. I already took care of it!" Alice said enthusiastically.

"...great."

…

Alice had stayed for awhile afterwords but eventually left. Red slipped into her nightgown and got into bed, tired after the long day. She thought about what Alice had said, and decided she was right. They were the closest thing to a family that she had, and what's the worst that could happen if she treated them like one? She smiled at the thought and laid her head down on her pillow and drifted off to sleep.

…

Red shot up in her bed, tears streaming down her face as she clutched Liam tightly. She had a nightmare about three men she didn't recognize. They had taken her from Alice as they were walking home from the castle. They had brought her to a cabin in the middle of the forest and locked her in a room. They had come for her the next morning when she finally woke up.

Red got out of bed and ran out the door into the hallway. She went to the first door she saw, not sure whose room it was and slowly turned the doorknob. Cracking it open, she saw a sleeping figure lying in bed. Although she wasn't sure which Joker it was, she opened the door and crept inside. Light from the hallway filled the room and the sleeping figure sat up in bed.

"Red? What are doing up?" White's voice mumbled tiredly as he got out of his bed and walked over to her. When he got closer he was able to see the fear in her eyes as she cried softly, hiding most of her face with her stuff animal.

"What's wrong?" He asked as he lifted her up off the floor. She nuzzled her face into his shoulder and sobbed.

"I-I had a n-nightmare. C-can I sleep with you?" She choked out in between sobs.

"Of course sweetie." He said as he carried her over to his bed. He put her down and laid next to her, holding her close to him. He rubbed her back gently to console her as she wrapped one arm around him, and the other around Liam. When she stopped crying, White sighed in relief.

"Goodnight big brother..." Red mumbled quietly into his chest.

"Goodnight Red..." White muttered, already half asleep. Moments later, after Red had dozed off, the words hit him like a ton of bricks.

"...big brother?"


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: The Amusement Park's Event

**Just to let you know, if you have any ideas/suggestions/requests for this story, feel free to let me know in a review or a pm, and I'll do my best to fit them in somewhere in the story. I say this now because since I'm currently on summer break, and I have a lot of free time for writing, so now would be the best time to tell me. Enjoy the new chapter~ ^-^**

White just stared at the girl snuggling into his chest as he let the words sink in. Him... they... her big brothers? It was true that they were her guardians, and they both care for her deeply, but they had never thought of themselves as that. She was tired. That was all. She didn't mean it. That's what White told himself as he struggled to get to sleep. Sure, they take care her when she's sick or when she's hurt. They also comfort her when she cries and they protect her from anything that tries to hurt her... And now he's letting her sleep in his bed because she had a nightmare.

"Hmm, I guess I am her big brother..." White muttered with a slight chuckle as he held her closer. Sighing to himself, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep with Red in his arms.

…

Red opened her eyes to see that White was already awake, his arms still wrapped around her. He was staring off into space with a thoughtful look on his face.

"White?" Red said in order to get his attention. He turned to her with a smile and brushed her hair out of her face.

"White? What happened to big brother?" He asked with a smirk. Red blushed furiously and hid her face behind Liam.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" She started.

"Don't apologize darling. You can call me that if you want. And I'm sure Black won't mind either." White said. Red removed Liam from her face and smiled.

"Now, we should probably get ready for the event." White muttered as he sat up.

"Okay... big brother."

…

Black carried Red on his shoulders as they walked through the amusement park gates. Red was wearing the swimsuit that Alice had given her which consisted of a white tank top with red polka dots and a bow at the top, and a pair of black shorts. Black and White wore simple swim trunks, Black's being plain black and White's being red and black checkered.

They reached the pool where the roleholders had gathered and Black set Red down. Upon noticing their arrival, Alice immediately ran up to them. She had on a blue flowered bikini and her hair was tied back into a ponytail.

"Oh hello Alice! You look lovely. Doesn't she Joker?" White asked in a teasing way. Black didn't respond, his cheeks turning a faint shade of red as he averted his eye.

"Big brother, why are you acting funny?" Red asked, only causing him to blush harder. White grinned and Alice giggled slightly. Black was still having trouble getting used to the whole "big brother" thing. His reaction to hearing it the first time was quite hilarious.

*Flashback*

White carried Red down the hall to her bedroom so that she could get changed for the event. As they were walking, Black stepped out of his room. Red excitedly reached out to him and he lifted her out of White's arms.

"Hey there kid." Black said.

"Hi big brother!" Red said happily. Black stiffened and his visible eye grew wide.

"B-big b-brother?" Black stuttered as his face began to turn red. White chuckled as he took Red back from him.

"Joker, are you okay?" White asked as he waved a hand in front of Black's face.

"What's wrong with big brother?" Red asked.

"Oh he's fine. He just can't handle any form of affection very well." White said and continued down the hall, leaving Black frozen in place.

"...big brother?"

*End of Flashback*

"Is it alright if Red comes with me?" Alice asked.

"Of course! Just be careful!" White said.

"Just make sure she puts on sunscreen! And don't run! And stay on the shallow end of the pool! And-"

"We will!" Alice said, cutting off Black as she lifted Red up and carried her off.

Alice and Red joined Boris and Pierce who were standing by the pool. Boris was holding a squirt gun and spraying poor Pierce. Luckily for Pierce, their arrival distracted Boris from harassing him further.

"Lookin good Alice." Boris said with a grin, causing Alice to blush.

"Yeah Alice, you look very pretty!" Pierce said, earning a glare from Pierce.

"Aw, thank you." Alice said.

"Hey, where's Gowland?" Alice asked, looking around.

"He's over there handing out snowcones. Hang on, I'll get us some!" Boris said as he headed over to where Gowland was. He came back shortly and handed one to each of them, even Pierce. Alice had blue raspberry, Pierce had lime, Boris had grape, and Red had cherry. They chatted as they ate their snowcones, with a few arguments between Boris and Pierce. At one point, Boris looked down and noticed a suspicious mark on the base of her neck.

"Hey Red, where'd you get that scar on your neck?" Boris asked. Red reached back and touched the little dot.

"I'm not sure... I don't ever remember getting it." Red muttered. Alice quickly changed the subject.

"Hey, why don't we go swimming?" Alice said. They all enthusiastically agreed and jumped in, quickly disregarding the odd mark on Red's neck. Since Red wasn't exactly the strongest swimmer, she had to use a inflatable tube just to stay afloat, and Alice watched her carefully just in case.

After having a splash fight with Boris and Pierce, she and Alice went over to see Vivaldi. She was wearing a rather revealing red bikini with black lace and laying in a lounge chair. Peter stood beside her on the right, while the king stood silently on her left. Ace was sitting in a chair beside them next to Julius, whom he was busy bothering.

"Alice my dear! How wonderful to see you here!" Peter gushed smiling like an idiot.

"Especially wearing that." Ace said, practically drooling, earning him a hit on the head from Julius.

"Leave us be! We wish to be alone with Alice and little Red!" Vivaldi demanded, causing all the men to scramble away. Peter was the last to leave, shooting Red as dirty look as he passed.

"You look absolutely adorable in that swimsuit Red! Did you pick it out Alice?" Vivaldi asked.

"Yep! I love any excuse to buy Red new clothing!" Alice exclaimed.

"Well it just so happens that we are planning another ball. It won't be for awhile though, but it will give Red an excuse to wear that adorable dress we gave her!" Vivaldi said, her eyes lighting up at the thought. Red only groaned, imagining that awful piece of clothing that was shoved into the back of her closet.

"That's great! I just hope it goes more smoothly this time..." Alice mumbled, remembering the incident with Blood.

"Oh don't worry about it. It's a long ways away! We haven't even begun on the invitations!" Vivaldi said. Red sighed in relief. At least she wouldn't have to worry about it for awhile.

They stayed and chatted for awhile before it turned to evening, and Alice decided it was time to get Red back to the Jokers. Saying goodbye to Vivaldi, Alice turned and began searching for them.

Red followed Alice as they looked for the Jokers. When they were walking close to the edge of the pool, Red felt a pair of arms shove her into the deep end of the pool. She got a mouthful of water as she went under and starting choking when she came up. She got a quick glimpse of the bloody twins standing and pointing at her, laughing as she struggled to stay afloat. She thrashed around as her head went underneath the water once again.

Suddenly somebody grabbed her and pulled her out of the water. As she was gasping for air, she noticed it was Black who had come to her rescue. He carried her out of the pool and patted her on the back as she continued to choke. Alice handed him a towel and he wrapped her up in it. When she was able to breathe, Red saw White angrily holding up the twins in each hand, each having a rather large bump on their head. He walked over to the edge of the pool and roughly threw them in before hurrying over to Red.

"Darling are you alright?" White asked.

"Yeah..." Red said as she shivered slightly from the cool evening air.

"I think it's time to go home." Black said.

"I think you're right." White agreed.

"Okay, goodbye! See you again soon!" Alice said.

"Goodbye Alice!" White waved as they headed towards the exit.

"Why do these events always end in disaster?" White mumbled as they walked through the forest.

"Because those f***ing Hatters can't keep their dirty hands to themselves." Black growled in an annoyed tone.

"Why do they hate me?" Red asked in a small voice.

"It's not your fault darling. They just hold a bit of a grudge against us." White said in a comforting tone.

"They better get the f*** over it! I'm getting real sick of their sh**." Black said.

"As am I, Joker. As am I."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Mischievous

"Aw, I lost again." Red said as she looked at the cards in her hand. White had been teaching her how to play, but it didn't seem to be working. She had already lost twenty games and wasn't getting any better. White smiled at her as he put the cards back into the deck.

"Oh it's alright. How about we play one more game?" White said as he shuffled them.

"Okay!" Red replied. She was happy to be able spend time with either of the Jokers. They were so busy with the work that they had put off while searching for Red, they rarely had time to spare for her lately. Other than watching White and his performers practice, or following Black around while he did his work in the prison, she really didn't get to see them much.

White frowned while looking at his cards. He knew he had won again. Red smiled at him, eagerly waiting for him to take his turn. He threw his cards down on the table into a messy pile and faked a look of disappointment.

"It's looks like you won this time Red!" He said.

"Yay! I won!" Red exclaimed excitedly. White chuckled as he picked up the cards.

"You sure did sweetie." He said and put the deck into his pocket.

"I've got to get back to work now darling. Why don't you go see Black? Maybe he's finished his work for the day." White suggested as he stood up.

"Why are you two so busy?" Red asked sadly. White smiled at her and knelt down.

"I'm sorry sweetheart. We've both got a lot of work to catch up on. But when we're done, we'll all spend time together okay?" White said as he hugged her.

"Okay big brother." She said. White stood up and patted her on the head.

"I'll see you in a little while."

…

Red opened the door to Black's office to see him hunched over his desk with a giant stack of paperwork sitting next to him. He was so busy he didn't notice her come in. She walked over to his desk and peeked over the top, watching as his hand scribbled over the paper in front of him. He stopped when he noticed her little red eyes peeping at him.

"What are you doing there? I thought you were playing cards with White." He said.

"He had to go. He said he had to finish his work. I guess you do too..." Red said with a frown.

"Come here kid." He said and gestured for her to come closer. She went around the desk and Black lifted her onto his lap. He kept one arm around her while he continued with his work.

Sitting on Black's lap and watching him do paperwork wasn't the most exciting thing in the world, but Red was just happy to be with him. He was about halfway through the giant stack of papers, but there was still a lot to go. Red couldn't tell what it was even about, since the most of the words were too big for her to understand, but she assumed it was important.

Black's writing started to slow and he dropped his pen. His arm fell limp on his desk and Red turned to look at him. He had fallen asleep in the middle working. Red smiled as she thought of an idea. She took the pen off the desk and and looked at him with a mischievous grin. Raising the pen she doodled across his sleeping face.

Pulling back, she admired her work. A mustache, a unibrow, a rainbow here, and a unicorn there, and a couple of stars and hearts upon his cheeks. She giggled as she slipped off his lap and walked out of his office, leaving him sleeping at his desk. She saw White walking down the hall and ran over to him.

"Hello darling. Where's Black?" White asked as he lifted her up. Red held back a giggle as she pointed towards his office.

"He's in there. But don't bother him. He's asleep." Red said.

"I'm not surprised, with all the paperwork he had." White sighed with a tired look in his eye.

"Are you almost done with your work big brother?" Red asked. White smiled at her.

"After the next show, I'll be all caught up." White said.

"Then we can spend time together right?" Red asked eagerly.

"Of course sweetheart." White said and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Red smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, nuzzling her face into his shoulder.

"Now let's get you to bed darling."

…

When Red woke up the next day, she found White sitting at the table in the kitchen down the hall. He looked stressed and had a frustrated frown on his face. He was so deep in thought he didn't notice her come in. Red tugged on his shirt sleeve to get his attention.

"Oh, hi sweetie." White said tiredly as he looked down at her.

"What's wrong big brother?" Red asked with concern as she climbed up on the chair next to him.

"It's nothing Red. My assistant has fallen ill is all, and won't be able to perform." White sighed.

"Can't you find someone else?" Red asked.

"I'm afraid not. The show was supposed to be in a few days. It's too late for me to find a replacement. I guess I'll have to cancel." He said.

"I could be your assistant!" Red offered eagerly. White chuckled and petted her head.

"That's very sweet of you, but I don't think you're ready for it." He said.

"Yes I am! Pleeease?" Red begged.

"You'd have to get on the trapeze with me." White said.

"I could do that!" Red exclaimed.

"And the tightrope." White said.

"Easy!" Red said.

"You really want to do this don't you?" White said.

"Yes! I reeeally wanna help!" Red said.

"Okay, you can be my assistant. But we'll have to practice a lot the next few days alright?" He said, chuckling at her enthusiasm.

"Yay!" Red exclaimed happily and hugged him tightly.

The door then opened, and in walked Black. He looked very irritated and had a deep scowl on his face. White began laughing and Red grinned widely as he sat down across from them.

"What?" He grumbled.

"O-oh it's n-nothing!" White said in between laughs. Black looked to Red for an answer, but she only shrugged, her grin widening.

"What's wrong?" Red asked, holding back a giggle.

"It's those f***ing prisoners! They won't take me seriously anymore! They just stare and laugh at me!" He said. With a smirk, White held up a silver spoon to Black's face. He grabbed it and looked at his reflection, his eyes widening. Red burst into a fit of giggles, no longer able to hold them in.

"Why you little-!" He growled in mock fury, grabbing her out of her chair. Setting her on his lap, he began tickling her sides. Her giggling grew louder as she tried to twist out of his grasp, but he kept one arm around her as his fingers poked and prodded her ribcage. Suddenly she felt another hand tickling her and turned to see that White had joined in. She squirmed around and pushed against Black, but they held on tight, showing no mercy as they continued with the torture.

"S-stop it!" Red giggled.

"Are you sorry you drew on me?" Black asked with a smirk.

"Y-yes! I-I'm sorry! Just s-stop!" As she said this, the tickling came to an end. Black grinned at her and handed her to White before walking over to the sink to scrub away the ink. At least now they knew little Red has a mischievous side.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: The Performance

White held onto Red's hand as she crossed the tightrope. There was a safety net hanging underneath, which had never been used before. She was frightened, but she knew White wouldn't let her get hurt. She had made it halfway across the rope with White's help.

"Just a little more darling. Keep your eyes on me and don't look down." White instructed. Red continued on, placing one foot in front of the other until they reached the other end.

"Very good Red!" White praised her as she stepped on the platform.

"Remember, when you perform you'll only have to make it halfway across, and I'll meet you in the middle alright?" White said.

"Okay." Red replied.

"Now, let's try that again." White said and held out his hand. She took and they began to walk back across. When they reached the middle, White let go of her hand.

"Try to make it back the rest of the way." He said. Red took a careful step and managed to keep her balance. She took another step, and White kept close behind her. She managed to make it to the other platform without White's help.

"Excellent!" White exclaimed.

"Can I try it on my own now?" Red asked eagerly. White thought about it for a moment. She had done a pretty good job, and there was a net in case she fell.

"Alright, just be careful." White said. Red grinned and stepped back onto the rope. White watched anxiously as she made her way across. She almost made it to the platform when she lost her balance. Her foot slipped and she tumbled down, letting out a screech as she fell.

"Red!" White shouted as he quickly climbed down the ladder. He expected her to cry and say she didn't want to do it anymore, but when he got to her, she just jumped out of the net and smiled brightly at him at him.

"Can I try it again?"

…

After a few days of practice, Red was ready to perform. She stood behind the curtain with White and Black, wearing her new stage outfit. She had a black leotard with a red tutu and black and gray striped tights. She also had a red jester collar with silver bells. She peeked behind the curtain and looked at the audience. The tent was nearly full and she saw the roleholders and Alice in the front row. She couldn't wait to see the look on Alice's face when she saw her perform.

"Are you ready sweetheart?" White asked her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Red nodded excitedly.

"Alright, let's go." He said and pulled back the curtain.

"Good luck kid." Black said before they walked out. White held her hand as they walked to the center of the tent. She was nervous, but she was happy that she could be useful in the circus.

"Ladies and Gentleman, we have a very special show for you today! Please welcome our newest little performer, Red!" White announced. Red blushed shyly as the audience clapped. She looked up and saw Alice smiling brightly and clapping excitedly.

"Please, enjoy the show!" White said as the other performers entered the stage. White took Red over to the tightrope to prepare for their performance while the others did their acts. The safety net had been set up, even though Red thought she didn't need it. Finally the other performers finished, and the lights shined on them for the final act. Red glanced nervously at White who stood on the platform across from her. He gave her a signal and sucking in a quick breath, she placed her foot on the rope. She walked across carefully, trying to match his pace so that they reached the middle at the same time. When they met, he lifted her up into his arms. He jumped down off the tightrope and grabbed onto the trapeze that flew underneath them. Red kept a tight grip on White as they flew through the air. When they landed on the platform, the crowd burst into applause. White took off his hat and bowed, with Red still being held in his arm.

...

Red snuck backstage while White went off to finish the show. She ran over to Black and he swept her off the ground.

"How did I do?" Red asked.

"You did great kid." He said with a smile. Red's grin widened, happy that she pleased her big brothers. White walked through the curtains and joined them.

"That was perfect sweetheart!" He exclaimed as he kissed her on the forehead. Red was beaming with happiness from the praise her big brothers were giving her.

"Can I go see Alice?" Red asked.

"Of course darling." He said. Black set her on the ground and she ran off out the tent.

She spotted Alice coming out of the main entrance and hurried over to her.

"Alice!" She exclaimed. She spun around and smiled at her.

"Red! You were amazing! I'm so proud of you!" She gushed.

"Thank you Alice! I'm glad you liked it!" She said.

"There's that little girl!" A feminine voice exclaimed from behind her. Red turned around to see a group, or rather a mob, of faceless women. They swarmed around her, completely blocking out Alice.

"Oh sweetie you are the cutest thing!" One of them said.

"Thank you very much ma'am!" Red said with a slight bow. They giggled with glee and one of them pinched her cheek.

"And so polite!"

"And talented!"

The women fussed over her for what seemed like hours. After many cheek pinchings and compliments, she managed to slip away. She was glad that the Jokers were so proud of her, and that the audience liked her performance, but she decided that she would wait a little while before offering to perform again.

The entire event had left her exhausted, and the moment she got away from the crowd, she hurried over to the prison. She quickly changed into her nightgown and crawled into bed, grabbing Liam and holding him to her chest. Right before she turned off the lamp and went to sleep, the Jokers came in.

"We just wanted to tell you again what a wonderful job you did. I would've had to cancel if it weren't for you." White said as he sat down next to her on the bed.

"Now if only you could work in the prison." Black said teasingly.

"And we promise we'll spend the day together tomorrow. No work, no shows, just us." White said. Red smiled and hugged them.

"Goodnight sweetheart." White said.

"Goodnight kid." Black said. They then turned out the light and left the room. Red nuzzled her face into Liam as she smiled excitedly, thinking about spending the entire day with her big brothers.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Tragedy

Red kept quiet as she hid underneath the desk in Black's office. She held Liam close to her as she listened intently for any noise. She stiffened as the door creaked open and two pairs of footsteps walked into the room.

"Oh little Red~ Where are you~?" A voice called out. She backed up further into the corner, holding her breath as she heard them walk closer.

"Come on out kid." The other voice said, standing right in front of the desk.

"Hmm, I guess she isn't here~"

"I guess not." Was the last thing that was said before the door slammed shut. Red breathed a sigh of relief before two hands snatched her up from under the desk.

"Eek!" Red exclaimed in surprise.

"Gotcha!" Black exclaimed as he lifted her up into his arms.

"Looks like we win." White said. Red giggled and happily hugged her big brothers. They had kept their promise and had spent the entire day with her, playing card games, that the Jokers allowed her to win, showing her magic tricks, giving her sweets, and now they had just finished a game of hide and seek. Red yawned and laid her head on Black's shoulder.

"Tired darling?" White asked. Red nodded sleepily, growing tired from all of the fun she was having with her big brothers. The Jokers took her to her room and while Black helped her into her nightgown, White grabbed a book from her bookshelf. He sat down on the bed next to Red and began to read to her while Black gently stroked her hair. She slowly drifted off to sleep as he read, holding Liam close.

"And they lived happily ever after." White finished and glanced down at Red, who was fast asleep. He gave her a kiss on the forehead and laid the book down on the nightstand. He turned off the light and the two of them left the room.

...

When Red woke up the next day, the first thing she did after she got dressed was look for the Jokers. She first checked their bedrooms and then Black's office. After failing to find either of them there, she looked for them in the circus. She couldn't find them there either. She knew she wasn't supposed to go into the other parts of the prison, but she really wanted to find them. Quietly, she made her way down the hall. She stuck her head around the corner and was happy to see the Jokers standing just ahead of her.

"White! Black!" Red called as she hurried around the corner, but froze when she realized what was happening. An escaped prisoner stood in front of them holding a gun aimed at the Jokers with his finger on the trigger, with the Joker's weapons on the ground several feet away.

"Red! Get back!" Black shouted, but Red was too frightened to move. The prisoner pointed his gun at Red and grinned evilly. He fired the gun, but before it could hit her, White shoved her out of the way. The bullet hit him in the leg and he fell to the ground.

"White!" Red screeched as she ran to his side.

"I'll be fine! Just run!" White shouted, and another shot was fired, hitting him in the chest. He stopped moving and laid limp on the ground. Black ran towards Red to protect her, but he was hit before he could get to her.

"Black!" Red cried out and moved over to him. He had been hit right in the clock and had been killed instantly. She was blinded by her tears as she clung to them. The man looked at the frightened crying little girl and upon realizing she was completely helpless, he lowered his gun and walked off towards the exit.

"Black? White?" Red whimpered as she leaned over them, blood pooling around her. They didn't respond. Their eyes were shut, and they weren't breathing.

"Black! White! Wake up!" She cried as she shook their cold, lifeless bodies.

"Please wake up!" She sobbed. Their bodies began to disappear, and she desperately tried to hold onto them.

"Don't leave me big brother..." She whimpered as they faded away completely, leaving her behind in a puddle of their blood. She curled into ball and laid on the cold hard ground. Blood seeped into her clothes and hair, but she didn't care. She only laid there motionless, sobbing as she clutched Liam, her only source of comfort, in her arms.

…

Red wasn't sure how long she had been lying there on the prison floor before she was found, but it must have been quite awhile. She didn't even raise her head to look when she heard the footsteps coming towards her, stopping just a few yards away.

"Red? Red! What happened to you? !" Alice exclaimed as she got on her knees and lifted Red off the floor.

"They're dead. My big brothers are dead." She whimpered. Alice hugged her tightly and tried to calm her down to no avail.

"Come with me sweetie." She said as she lifted her off the ground and carried her out of the prison.

...

Alice held Red as she dried her hair with a towel. She had given her a bath and since she couldn't find anything in her closet for her to wear, she borrowed a shirt from Julius and changed her into it. Once she was all dried off, Alice continued to comfort her, rubbing her back gently and telling her everything was alright.

"Everything will be alright. You can stay here with me sweetheart. I'll take care of you." Alice said soothingly as she stroked her hair.

Alice held her for over an hour before she eventually cried herself to sleep. She tucked her into bed and changed into her own nightgown before climbing into bed next to her and put her arms protectively around her.

"Poor baby..." Alice mumbled. She knew Red would have to go back to the circus eventually. Somebody had to take care of the circus and prison, and Alice was sure somebody would replace their roles soon enough. But until then, she would take care of her.

Alice began to worry about who would replace them. Would they treat her well? Would they care for her like the Jokers had? Alice doubted it. Nobody could ever replace the Jokers in Red's little mind. They were her big brothers.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Irreplaceable

Red was asleep, that much she knew, for she was in Nightmare's dream realm. She'd never been there herself, but she had heard of it on multiple occasions. She thought it was strange, and overly colorful. She looked around, but she didn't see Nightmare anywhere.

"Red!" A very familiar sounding voice called from behind her. She spun around and her eyes went wide when she saw the Jokers standing right in front of her. She immediately latched onto White and began to cry.

"Red, sweetheart, are you alright? He didn't hurt you did he?" White asked as he lifted her up, checking her for injuries. Red shook her head as she nuzzled her face into his shoulder.

"I've told you not to go into that part of the prison alone! You could've gotten killed!" Black scolded. Red was too happy to care that he was yelling at her and reached out to him. Black sighed and took her out of White's arms. Red wrapped her arms around his neck as tears of joy continued to run down her cheeks. Black hugged her tightly, relieved that she was safe. Her clock nearly broke as the realm began to shatter around them.

"Red, when you wake up, we want you come home immediately." Black said as he began to disappear.

"We'll be waiting for you!" That was the last thing she heard before everything went black.

...

"It was just a dream..." Red mumbled as she sat up in bed. It had seemed so real, like they were actually there, holding her, talking to her. She suddenly remembered what they had said. She got out of bed and got dressed as quickly as possible before heading out the door. Even if it was a dream, she still had to be sure.

"Red! Where are you going?" Alice called as Red had opened the front door, letting the cold winter air blow in.

"I have to go to the circus! Big brother told me to!" Red hastily explained before shutting the door behind her.

"Red! Wait!"

…

Red reached the circus and anxiously looked around. All the performers were practicing like nothing had happened. Not a thing was out of place. That's when she saw White standing by the tent with his back to her. She ran towards him at full speed and clung to his leg.

"Big brother!" She exclaimed. White turned his head and smiled down at her.

"There you are sweetheart." He said as he pulled her off of his leg and lifted her up into his arms.

"What happened big brother? I thought you were..." Red trailed off.

"We will never die Red. Our roles cannot be replaced. We may be killed, but we will always come back." White explained.

"Really? You won't leave me?" Red asked in a small voice.

"Never. We'll always be here darling." White said.

"Now let's go see Black shall we?"

...

Red wouldn't leave the Jokers side the rest of the day. She followed them wherever they went, nearly bursting into tears if she couldn't see one of them. They just went along with it, giving her as much affection as they could, assuming that she would get over it in a little while. After thinking that she had lost them the first time, she wouldn't let it happen again, even though she knew they would come back.

Black had to leave her alone with White so that he could handle some executions. Red had protested, but obviously he wouldn't allow her to follow. White and Red stayed in White's bedroom and sat on the couch. White held her on his lap as he tried to distract her from the fact that Black wasn't there, but every five minutes she would ask the same question.

"When is Black coming back?" She asked for the fifteenth time.

"Sweetheart, he'll be back soon. He's fine, I promise." White said. Red didn't respond. She just rested her head on his shoulder with a worried look on her face. White sighed and looked down at the mask on his hip.

"Joker, would you please tell Red that you're okay?" White said.

"Calm down kid. I'm fine. I'll be back in a few min- HEY! WHERE THE F*** DO YOU THINK YOU'RE-" White quickly shut it off, laughing nervously.

"See? He's okay." White said. Red relaxed a little bit and shut her eyes. A few minutes later, she had fallen asleep. A little while later, Black came back, looking very irritated.

"Is something wrong?" White asked.

"Read this." Black said and shoved an envelope into his hand. White read the letter and frowned. It was a notice of a mandatory meeting that he and Black were to attend in a particularly dangerous country, too dangerous to take Red with them.

"What are we supposed to do with her?" White wondered as he glanced down at Red, who was sleeping soundly in his arms.

"What about Alice? She could watch her for a few days right?" Black suggested.

"I'm not sure, with all that's been happening recently. Alice wouldn't be able to protect Red if somebody tried to hurt her." White said.

"Those employees of yours can stop anyone who enters the circus. And I've got the afterimages in case any prisoners escape. She'll be fine." Black said.

"I really hope you're right."

…

"I'll take good care of her, don't worry." Alice said, holding Red while standing at the circus entrance as the Jokers were about to leave. Red looked at them with tears in her eyes. She was devastated that they were leaving, and so soon after the incident. The Jokers felt a pang of guilt as they looked at her.

"It will only be a few days sweetheart. Be a good girl for Alice." White said, giving her a kiss goodbye.

"We'll be back soon kid." Black said and patted her on the head.

"Goodbye..." Red said sadly. The Jokers waved goodbye as they left the circus, leaving a very upset Red in Alice's arms.

"Cheer up Red. They're not gone for good." Alice said, petting her head comfortingly.

"Hey, how about we go to the amusement park? That will be fun huh?" Alice suggested. Red gave her a small smile.

"Okay Alice."


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: The Haunted House

"Hi Alice! You brought little Red chu~!" Pierce exclaimed as Alice approached him with Red in her arms.

"Hello Pierce. Where's Boris?" Alice asked.

"I don't know. I'm usually running away from him!" Pierce said.

"Why don't I leave Red with you for awhile? She's a bit upset, do you think you could cheer her up? I'll find Boris and meet up with you two later." Alice suggested. Pierce seemed excited about the idea.

"Okay! Don't worry, I'll make her happy!" Pierce said. Alice smiled and handed Red over to him.

"I'll see you later!" Alice said as she ran off to find Boris.

"Let's go have some fun Red!"

…

Pierce took Red onto the smaller rides that Boris would call "boring", such as the teacup ride, the ferris wheel, and the merry-go-round. But Red thought they were fun, and was even smiling after awhile. Eventually they decided to stop and rest on a nearby bench before going to look for Alice and Boris.

"Are you feeling better now Red?" Pierce asked.

"Yes, thank you Pierce!" Red said. Pierce smiled, happy that he was able to cheer her up.

"Your welcome Re-"

"Hey there rat!"

"And the little Joker girl!" The voices caused both of them to jump up off the bench. When they spun around, they saw the bloody twins grinning mischievously at them.

"Let's play!" They exclaimed. Before either of them could react, a knife went flying past Red's face, barely missing her.

"Let's go Red!" Pierce shouted as he grabbed Red's hand and pulled her away.

Pierce and Red ran across the park, dodging the knives that the twins threw at them. In an attempt to lose them, they ran into a haunted house that was currently closed for repairs. They crouched down and watched from the window as the twins ran past. They waited in silence for a few minutes before Red spoke up.

"Is it safe?" She asked.

"I think so." Pierce said as he stood up.

"We should go find Alice in case those scary twins show up again." Pierce said. Red nodded and began to follow after him when she heard a loud crack.

"W-what was that?" Red asked before the floor gave out from underneath her. Red screamed as she tumbled down and landed on the ground.

"Red!" Pierce squeaked. Red moaned in pain as she sat up. The ground was hard, like cement. It was pitch black other than the light shining down from above.

"Are you okay? !" Pierce asked worriedly as he peered down the hole.

"It's dark down here! I'm scared!" Red shouted.

"Don't worry Red! I'll get you!" Pierce said before running off.

"Pierce! Wait!" Red shouted, but it was too late. Suddenly, the light from above faded away as it turned to night. Now it was completely dark. Red couldn't even see her own hand in front of her face. Red curled up into a tight ball and shivered. She could hear Pierce's footsteps above her as he desperately searched for a way down. But as the minutes passed, the footsteps stopped. Red was beginning to think he wasn't coming. She began to cry silently as she laid down on the cold hard ground. She was too scared to move in the darkness, let alone search for a way back upstairs.

Red felt a something tickle and crawl up her leg. She let out a scream as she jumped up off the ground and frantically brushed off her leg. While she was jumping around, she accidentally bumped into the light switch. The lights flickered on and she saw that she was in the basement of the haunted house. Her eyes lit up as she saw the door across the room. She hurried over to it and threw it open. She carefully walked up the steps that creaked below her. Upon reaching the top of the steps, she opened the door that led to a long, dark hallway. She was lucky that the house was under construction, so she didn't have to worry about anything jumping out and scaring her.

Red walked down the hall, keeping an eye out for Pierce. Bloody handprints covered the walls and cobwebs hung from the ceiling. She opened the door at the end of the hall, which led to room that was decorated like a dining room. It was dimly lit with a chandelier that hung above the table, it's lights flickering on and off. A family of skeletons sat around the table that was covered with a bloodstained tablecloth and creepy portraits hung on the cobweb covered walls. She knew it was all fake, but she couldn't help but be a little frightened.

Red shivered in fear as she slowly crossed the room. Her clock raced as the eyes from the portraits watched her every move. As she reached for the doorknob, somebody grabbed her.

"AAAAH! LET ME GO!" Red screamed as she was lifted up.

"I-it's just me!" Red turned her head to see it was only Pierce that had grabbed her.

"Are you alright chu~?" Pierce asked worriedly.

"Y-yeah, but it's scary in here..." Red said.

"It's okay, I know the way out!" Pierce said.

They managed to find the exit in a matter of minutes and went to find Alice and Boris. Alice was horrified to hear what had happened, and Boris immediately went to track down the twins to yell at them.

"Oh sweetie, I should've never let you out of my sight! Let's go home okay?" Alice said. After saying goodbye to Boris and Pierce, Alice took Red back to the circus.

When they got back, Alice took Red back to her room. Alice sat down on the couch and read a book while Red sat on the floor next to her, drawing away with her crayons with Liam sitting beside her. She happily doodled bunnies and kittens surrounded by pink hearts, colorful stars, and rainbows. Alice occasionally glanced up from her book to make sure Red was alright, grinning each time she saw her drawings. Suddenly Red looked up from her drawing and yawned. Alice giggled and lifted her up onto the couch.

"I think you need a nap." Alice said. Red snuggled Liam as she laid her head down on Alice's lap. Alice pulled a blanket over her and continued to read while gently petting Red's head as she drifted off to sleep.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Big Brother?

Red peeked around a tree, watching as Alice talked to, as she described, the funny rabbit man, Peter. He had showed up awhile ago and had been pestering her for quite some time. She looked really frustrated as she had told him to leave several times already.

"My dear, why must you stay here? That Joker girl is not worth your time! Time that could be spent with me, your true love!" Peter said. Alice rolled her eyes at him.

"For the last time, go away Peter!" Alice said in a very annoyed tone as she turned away.

"But, my love!" Peter protested.

"Get out of here! Or do I have to have Joker's employees escort you out?" Alice threatened.

"Alright my darling, I shall leave. But I will be back!" Peter said as he began to walk away. Alice huffed and stalked off in the opposite direction. Red ducked behind a nearby tree as Peter walked past her. Unfortunately he noticed her foot sticking out from the base of the tree.

"Get out from there you little insect!" Peter shouted at her, pulling out his gun. Red hesitantly stepped out from behind the tree.

"You are nothing but a nuisance that has stolen the love of my dear Alice you filthy little Joker! I don't know if I can kill you, but I can certainly try!" Peter shouted as he fired at her. He just barely missed her as she jumped out of the way. Red ran into the forest with Peter close behind her, firing bullet after bullet in her direction.

When Peter was out of sight, Red climbed up a nearby tree and hid in the branches in an attempt to escape his wrath. She sighed in relief as he ran past the tree she was hiding in. After she was sure he was gone, she started to climb down. As she placed her foot on a lower branch, her foot slipped and she began to fall.

Red hit her head hard against the ground as she landed. Her vision blurred when she tried to get up, and went black as she fell back onto the ground.

…

"Owww..." Red mumbled, rubbing her head as she sat up and looked around with a very confused look on her face. Why did her head hurt so much? And what was she doing out in the woods?

"Where am I? And... who am I?" She muttered to herself. Suddenly, a shadow appeared over her. She looked up and saw Blood standing over her with Elliot at his side, and the bloody twins standing behind him.

"Who are you?" She asked. The man raised an eyebrow at her.

"Don't play games with me girl. You know exactly who I am." He sneered.

"I'm sorry mister, but I don't. I don't who I am either." She said.

"Uh Blood, I think she hit her head." Elliot said, pointing at the large bump on her head, causing an evil grin to spread across Blood's face.

"So, you really don't know who I am?" He asked.

"Nope." She replied.

"Hmm, does the name "Joker" ring a bell?" He asked.

"No, why?" She said, confused.

"Little girl, don't you remember? I'm your big brother."

…

"Blood, are you sure this is a good idea?" Elliot asked as they stood in Blood's office, concerned about his motives. Blood looked up from his paperwork and frowned at him.

"Are you questioning me Elliot?" He said in a threatening tone.

"N-no! It's just that, I mean, she's just a little kid. It's not really fair to punish her for what the Jokers did." Elliot said.

"I'm not punishing her, Elliot. I'm punishing the Jokers. I'm just using her." Blood said.

"So you're not gonna hurt her or anything are you?" Elliot asked.

"Only if I have to."

…

Red laid down on the bed in the room Blood had told her was her bedroom. A doctor had come to see her and gave her something for the pain, so her head no longer hurt at least. Blood told her to stay in room and rest, even though she wasn't tired.

She got out of bed and changed into the clothes Blood had given her. It was a black and red checkered dress with a white apron that had the card suits down the middle. A pair of black socks and gloves and a choker were sitting beside it. A pair of white Mary Jane shoes and a mini top hat with red roses were also next to it. After getting changed, she wandered off into the hallway in hopes of finding somebody.

…

"Hello Alice! We're back! Where's little Red?" White said as he walked into Red's bedroom with Black following after him. Alice was sitting on Red's bed with her face in her hands.

"Alice? What's wrong?" White asked as he sat down next to her and put his arm around her.

"Red is gone! I've looked everywhere but I can't find her!" Alice sobbed.

"Calm down Alice, it'll be alright. Where did you last see her?" White asked.

"She was playing in the circus. Peter came by and was harassing me, so I couldn't watch over her. When I got rid of him I went to find her, but she was gone!" Alice said.

"It's alright Alice. We're going to find her. Joker, you go search the prison and make sure she didn't wander in there. I'll go tell the performers to check the other territories."

…

Red walked aimlessly down the hall until she came to an open door. Peeking inside, she saw the bloody twins.

"Hey! You two! You're Dee and Dum right?" She said as she walked inside. The twins turned around and smiled excitedly at her.

"Yeah! Do you wanna play Red?" They asked.

"Sure!" She replied. The twins grabbed her by the arms and pulled her over to a chair. They sat her down and put a blindfold over her eyes.

"What's the blindfold for?" She asked.

"It's a surprise!" Dee said. Red sat still in the chair as she heard the twins rummaging around. She wasn't sure what game they were playing, but it seemed a bit odd. Suddenly the rummaging stopped.

"Ready to play Red?" They asked. Red nodded enthusiastically.

"Ready!" As soon as she said this, she felt something fly past her head.

"Dee, Dum, what was that?" Red asked worriedly.

"Nothing Red! Just stay still!" Dee said.

"Yeah, don't move Red!" Dum said. She remained seated as she felt the objects fly past her, flinching when they came too close. She didn't like this game anymore, but she was afraid to move. Luckily for her, she heard the door open and someone walk in.

"What are you brats doing? !" She heard someone shout. The blindfold was ripped off of her face and she saw that it was Elliot who had come to her rescue.

"Blood said that you were to leave her alone!" He shouted at the twins.

"We were just playing with her!" The twins protested. Out of curiosity, Red turned around to see what it was that they had been throwing at her. Her eyes widened in fear when she saw several knives stuck in the wall.

"Playing with you is nothing but trouble! Let's go Red. Blood wants to speak with you." Elliot said, offering Red his hand. Red slid off the chair and took Elliot's hand and they walked down the hall towards Blood's room.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Rules

**For those of you who read stories of mine other than Red Joker, there is a poll available on my profile to decide what stories should be updated more often. Please vote if you haven't already. Also, I've decided to update this story every Monday and Thursday. Thank you and enjoy the new chapter! **

"I talked to Peter and he said that he did see her in the forest after he left, but that's all I've got so far." Alice said as she sat on the couch across from the Jokers.

"My employees claimed she wasn't at any of the other territories, but we'll stop by and check for ourselves. Relax Alice please, it will be fine." White said reassuringly, although he was just as worried as she was.

"I swear if someone took her again..." Black growled.

"The prime minister probably scared her and she ran off. I already sent a few of my employees to search the forest in case she got lost. We'll find her."

...

Red sat in a chair in front of Blood's desk, fidgeting nervously as he stared at her intently. He said that he was her older brother, but she felt very uncomfortable around him, although she wasn't sure why.

"Red, since you seem to be having some memory loss, I'd like to go over some rules with you." Blood started. The tone of his voice made her feel uneasy.

"First of all, you are not to leave the mansion unless I give you permission, understood?" Blood started. Red nodded meekly.

"And when you are outside, do not, under any circumstances, leave the property." Blood continued.

"One last thing. There are two men, called the Jokers, that are bad people. They will try to take you away from me and will do anything to try and trick you. They have hurt you in the past, and they will hurt you again. They are the reason you cannot leave the property." Blood said. Red continued to nod as he gave her a description of what the Jokers look like. When Blood finished, Elliot poked his head into the room.

"Uh, Blood. Alice is here to see you." He said.

"Very well, take Red to her room and send Alice to me." Blood ordered. Elliot nodded and Red followed him out the door.

…

"I'm sorry Alice, but I'm afraid I haven't seen little Red." Blood said, sitting next to her on the couch in his bedroom. Alice frowned as she stared into her teacup.

"I really hope she's okay..." Alice mumbled.

"I'm sure she's fine Alice. Now, why don't we talk about something else?" Blood purred as he leaned in closer to her. Alice scowled at him and scooted away.

"I only came to see if you had seen her. Now, if you'll excuse me, I should be going." Alice said as she set down her cup and stood up. Before she could walk away, Blood reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her back down on the couch.

"I'm not done with you yet young lady." He said as he loomed over her.

"Let me go Blood!" Alice shouted as she tried to push him away. He ignored her protests and brought his lips closer to hers. Alice reached over, picking up the steaming cup of tea and raised it over his head. She poured it onto to him and he immediately let go of her and jumped back.

"Gah!" He exclaimed, the hot liquid dripping down his face. Alice smirked at him before strutting out of the room.

…

Red sat in the grass, picking wildflowers. After a few days of doing nothing but sitting in her bedroom alone, she decided to break one of Blood's rules and go outside. She didn't like the mansion. Blood told her she had to stay in her room, but it was so boring. There wasn't anything for her to do, and the only people that would play with her were the twins, and there was no way she would ever go anywhere near them. So, she snuck outside when Blood wasn't watching. She happily tied the flowers together making a flower crown. She already had a flower necklace around her neck, and a ring on each finger, and both her arms were covered with bracelets.

She was having so much fun making flower jewelry, she didn't notice the two men walking towards her. Suddenly, a shadow loomed over her, causing her to look up. She jumped in surprise when she saw the Jokers, the men her "big brother" had warned her about.

"Red, sweetheart, what are you doing here?" White asked as he reached down to grab her. She jumped up and backed away from them in fear.

"Calm down kid, it's just us!" Black said as he approached her. He picked her up off the ground, but she fought back. She threw her tiny fists at his chest and kicked her legs frantically as she tried to free herself.

"Red, what the hell is wrong with you?" Black demanded as he tried to restrain her.

"Excuse me, but would you please unhand that girl?" The Jokers turned to see Blood walking towards them with a taunting grin on his face.

"Big brother!" Red shouted as she reached out to him. The Jokers stared at him in disbelief.

"What the f*** did you do to Red?" He demanded.

"I haven't done a thing. Poor Red must have hit her head." Blood said.

"Agh!" Black shouted as Red bit down on his hand, causing him to drop her. She immediately ran over to Blood and latched onto him. Blood gave them a smug smirk as he lifted her off the ground.

"And I would appreciate it if you two would remove yourselves from my property. You're frightening my little Red." Blood said.

"This isn't over Hatter. We will be back for her." White growled and the Jokers left.

"Hmm, they gave up easier than I thought." Blood said before looking down at Red.

"As for you, we need to have a little talk."

…

Red sat on her bed in her room with Blood standing in front of her, arms folded across his chest with a frown upon his face.

"Would you care to tell me why you were outside? I thought I made it perfectly clear that you were not to leave the mansion without my permission." He said sternly. Red stared down at floor nervously as she tried to come up with an excuse.

"Answer me Red!" He said, raising his voice.

"I-I'm sorry big brother! It just gets boring in here all by myself. I just wanted to-" Red was cut off by a hard slap to the face. The force of the hit sent her flying face-first into the ground. She looked up at him, teary eyed, with a red mark on her cheek.

"Do not disobey me little girl! Do you have any idea how close you were to being taken by the Jokers? The Jokers are evil! Nothing but vile, merciless monsters! They will lure you into a false sense of security and then they will kill you! You are not to leave this room unless I say otherwise, or else. Do you understand?" Blood growled as he glared down at her trembling form.

"Y-yes b-big b-brother."


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Big Brother is Mean

**Can I just stop for a second here to say HOLY SH**! I'VE MADE IT TO CHAPTER 30! WOO! *Ahem* please enjoy the newest chapter~ (Also, I've put up information on the sequel to this story on my profile. Check it out if you're interested!)  
**

It had been several days since the incident with the Jokers, and Red was still confined to her room. She had tried to leave, but found the door had been locked. A maid would come by every once in awhile to bring food or just to check on her, but otherwise, she was completely alone. Blood hadn't even come by since that day, not that it was a bad thing. She didn't want to risk the chance of being hit again.

There wasn't much in the room for her to do, but she was able to find a few pens and some paper, so she spent most of her time drawing. She drew whatever came to mind, mostly unicorns, flowers, and other things little girls love to draw. But, she also drew things like little blue cats with yellow ribbons around their necks, or red lollipops. She wasn't sure why, but they just seemed familiar to her.

She was currently sitting in the middle of her piles of drawings, doodling away when her bedroom door opened and Blood walked in. He glanced at her drawings and sneered.

"Yes big brother?" Red said timidly.

"Get up Red. You're going to start doing some work around here."

…

Blood brought her to one of the maids and told her to help out with the chores. Red wasn't thrilled about having to work, but she was happy to be able to leave her room. At first the maid had her help put away dishes, but Red ended up breaking about half of them. Then she had her dust the living room, which resulted in several broken vases. In a final attempt of making Red useful, the maid gave her a mop and bucket and instructed her to clean the foyer floor. She wasn't sure what the point of mopping was, considering the floor was already sparkling clean to the point that she could see her reflection in it, but she did what she was told.

Once she had finally finished, the entire foyer was covered with a thick layer of soapy water. She had never had to mop before, and she was only eight years old, so she thought it was perfectly fine. Satisfied with her work, she picked the mop up off the soaking wet floor, and turned to put it back in the bucket.

When she turned around, she heard a shout followed by a loud thud. Spinning back around, she saw Blood lying on his back on the floor, completely drenched. He sat up and narrowed his eyes at her.

"Red, what exactly did you do?" He asked in a low, dangerous voice.

"I mopped the floor! Didn't I do good big brother?" Red said with a wide smile. Blood got off the floor and walked over to her, squeezing the water out of his jacket.

"No Red, you did not." He said as he towered over her with an icy glare. Red's smile faded as a look of disappointment crossed her face.

"I've also been informed of the many things you have broken today. I thought I told you to help out, not destroy property." He continued.

"I-I'm sorry big brother..."

"You have done nothing but cause trouble all day. Now I have to punish you." Blood said. Red raised her head, and before she could respond he raised his cane high before bringing it down across her face. She fell to the ground and he continued to hit her several more times before he finally stopped. She just laid on the floor covering her face with her hands, sobbing.

"Now go to your room Red!" He ordered. Red picked herself up off the floor and ran away as fast as she could.

She ran up to her bedroom and changed out of her wet clothing before curling up into a ball onto her bed, crying into her pillow.

"Big brother is mean..." Red whimpered as she cried herself to sleep.

…

Red awoke suddenly in the middle of the night. She sat up and looked around her darkened room in confusion. She felt like someone was watching her. That's when she saw two figures emerge from the shadows and approached her. She hugged her knees to her chest as they came to a stop right next to her bed.

"Go away!" Red cried as she hid her face in her pillow.

"Calm down kid. We don't want Blood to hear you." Black said as he pulled the pillow away from her face.

"Red, please, we aren't here to hurt you." White said as he leaned down and gently cupped her cheek.

"W-what do you w-want?" Red squeaked.

"We want to help you sweetheart. Blood isn't very nice to you, is he?" White asked.

"N-no..." She whimpered.

"Which is exactly why we have to do this." White said before he lifted her up and tossed her over his shoulder.

"H-hey! S-stop! Big brother!" Red cried out. The Jokers snuck out the window with a hysterical Red in tow and made their way out of the courtyard. It pained them to scare her so badly, but it was the only way to get her to safety.

Upon reaching the prison, they took Red to her bedroom and set her down on the bed before sitting down beside her. She was shaking with fear and tears ran down her cheeks. Because of what Blood had told her, the Jokers were nothing but monsters in her eyes. She whimpered as White hugged her in an attempt to console her.

"Hush now darling. It's alright." He said as he petted her head. She flinched with each gentle touch, still trembling in terror. Black frowned as he noticed the bruises forming all over her body.

"Red, did Blood hit you?" Black asked as he lightly touched a mark on her arm. Red nodded meekly, wiping away a few stray tears.

"That b******..." Black growled as he hugged her as well. The Jokers sat in silence for a few moments, just glad to have Red in their grasp. She sat still in between them, not struggling as they held her, only whimpering and trembling as she imagined what they would do with her.

Eventually, the Jokers let go of her. Red gasped as White picked her up and pulled back the covers before laying her down on the bed and tucking her in.

"Go to sleep sweetheart." White said as he planted a kiss on her forehead.

"We'll be back later kid." Black said and tucked Liam in beside her before patting her on the head. White flicked off the light and they walked towards the door.

"Goodnight Red." They said before shutting the door behind them. Red heard a small click as the door was locked, preventing her from running back to the mansion. She grabbed the little stuffed animal and squeezed it tightly, still terrified of what was going to happen. The Jokers were nicer to her than Blood ever was, but she was still scared. Blood had told her they would do this. They would treat her nicely, and then they would kill her. She shut her eyes, but fear prevented her from falling asleep. She only laid there in the darkness, dreading the moment the Jokers would walk through that door.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Painful Memories

Red was unable to sleep the entire night. She was far too scared to sleep. She hid underneath the covers and held Liam tight. She trembled with fear when she heard the door open and the Jokers stepped in. She felt the covers gently being pulled away as White scooped her up out of bed.

"Wake up sweetie. We've got somewhere to go today!" He said. Red slowly opened her eyes to see White smiling at her. Black dug through her dresser and pulled out a stack of clothing. White set her down as Black walked over to them. After they helped her get dressed, White picked her up and they left the prison together.

"W-where are you t-taking me?" Red stuttered as they carried her through the forest.

"We're going to someone that can help you with your little memory problem darling." White said.

"Then c-can I g-go back to m-my big b-brother?" Red asked in a quiet voice.

"Yes sweetheart. When you get your memory back, we will happily bring you home to your big brother." White said. Red relaxed a bit, although she didn't know the true meaning behind his words. She stayed quiet the rest of the way. They arrived at the tower shortly, and were greeted by Alice.

"You're here! Nightmare is in his office. I'll go get him for you." Alice said as she let them inside.

"Have a seat. He'll be down in a minute." Alice said and went off to fetch him. The Jokers sat down on the couch by the fireplace as they waited with Red sitting in between them. After a few minutes, Nightmare stepped in with Gray and Alice following behind. He walked over to them and knelt down in front of Red, staring intently at her.

"Can you do it or not? !" Black growled impatiently.

"Joker, please be a little more polite." White chided.

"...I am being polite." Black grumbled.

"Nightmare, can you restore her memories?" White asked.

"Of course I can." Nightmare said.

"Then get on with it!" Black demanded, slamming his hand down on the coffee table, causing Red to flinch.

"Relax Joker. Restoring memories is a bit different that taking them away. I'm afraid it's a bit... painful." Nightmare said.

"Painful? ! It's going to hurt her? !" Alice exclaimed. Red began to grow nervous. Noticing this, Black put one arm around her comfortingly and pulled her close.

"It will I'm afraid, but if you want her to remember, it's what we'll have to do." Nightmare said solemnly.

"Is there any other way?" White asked.

"You could try and wait it out, but that could take weeks, months, possibly years." Nightmare said. Black sighed and pulled Red onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Alright, just get it over with." He said. Red began to panic and tried to squirm out of his grip, but he held on tight. Nightmare nodded and placed his hand her forehead.

At first, Red didn't feel anything, but after a few moments, she felt a dull pain in the back of her head. The pain quickly began to grow more intense until it became unbearable. Red screamed out and began to struggle, but Nightmare continued. Alice watched in horror as Red was forced to suffer. The Joker's clocks shattered as Red screamed and cried in pain. Even Gray was having trouble watching. Suddenly, Black grabbed Nightmare's wrist and yanked it away.

"Just stop it!" He shouted and tried to comfort her. Red continued to cry as she buried her head into his chest. The pain subsided as soon as Nightmare's hand was removed.

"Don't you want her to remember?" Nightmare questioned.

"Not if it's going to hurt her!" Black said.

"We'll wait. We don't care how long it will take." White said as he stood up.

"Thank you for your help. We will be going now." White said and the Jokers left the tower.

…

"We're so sorry sweetheart. We shouldn't have let Nightmare do it." White said as they walked through the Clover territory. Red had his jacket wrapped around her to keep her warm in the cold winter weather. She didn't respond, but instead looked up at him with big eyes. Although she didn't say anything, he knew what she wanted to say.

"Red, you want to go back to Blood don't you?" White asked. Red nodded nervously.

"You heard her Joker. It's time to take her back to the Hatter mansion." White said. Black stopped abruptly and turned to him.

"What? ! Have you lost your f***ing mind? !" Black shouted.

"We made a promise that we would take her back didn't we?" White said.

"That was before-"

"Joker!" White interrupted, grabbing his attention.

" Look at her! She's scared, no, terrified! Do you really want to take her back and lock her in her room? Do you want her to live in fear because of what Blood told her about us? Is that what you want for her?" White demanded.

"He hurt her, and he'll hurt her again." Black growled.

"And we haven't? Don't you remember Joker? Don't you remember all the pain she's suffered under our care?" White said, silencing any further protests.

"If Red wants to go live with Blood, then we should let her." White said. Black didn't respond and just handed Red over to him.

"If that's what you want to do, fine. But you can do it yourself." He said before turning around and walking off in the opposite direction. White looked down at Red with a sad smile.

"Let's get you home okay?"

...

When they arrived at the mansion, none of the Hatters were anywhere to seen. White set her down on the ground and knelt down in front of her.

"Alright sweetheart, I'm gonna leave before your big brother shows up. You be a good girl alright?" White said and Red nodded.

"And if you ever change your mind, you're more than welcome to come back." He said as he stood up.

"Goodbye Red." White said before walking off into the forest, leaving Red standing in front of the gates. She couldn't help but feel a bit sad as he left. They had been so nice to her, and they clearly weren't happy about giving her back to Blood.

"Goodbye Joker..."


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Home Sweet Home

For the next few days, Red spent most of her time doing chores that Blood had given her. She washed dishes, dusted his office, swept the floors, and whatever else he told her to do. She tried her best not to make any mistakes, and only once since the incident had she broken anything. Luckily for her, Elliot took the blame for her. She had no idea why, but she was very grateful.

When she wasn't working, she wasn't usually allowed to leave her bedroom. He was still angry at her because the Jokers had taken her, even though it wasn't her fault. She wasn't exactly happy with the way things were, but at least he hadn't hit her lately.

She was currently carrying a tray of tea to Blood's office that a maid had given her. Delivering Blood's tea was another one of her usual tasks. It wasn't exactly difficult, but he drank tea so often that she was constantly walking from the kitchen to his office to get it to him.

She stopped in front of his door and held the tray in one hand. She turned the doorknob, completely forgetting about knocking. As she pushed it open, she was met with an unusual sight. Blood was on the couch above one of the maids, with his hands on places that Red found odd. Her apron had been undone and her dress had been raised up to her hips. Blood was only wearing a pair of pants while the rest of his clothing was lying in a heap on the floor. Red titled her head to the side in confusion as she tried to understand the scene before her.

"Uh, big brother?" Red said. The maid's face turned bright red as she slipped off the couch and hastily adjusted her uniform before scurrying out of the room.

"What were you doing with that lady big brother?" Red asked in confusion. Blood smirked at her as he sat down on the couch.

"Well Red, I was about to-"

"Hey Blood! Are you ready to head over to the amusement park for negotiations?" Elliot asked as he walked into the room, interrupting Blood from ruining Red's innocence.

"Just wait for me by the front gate Elliot. I'll be out in a minute." Blood said and Elliot quickly disappeared.

"Red, I want you to stay in your room until I return. Just put the tea down on the table." He said as he stood up from the couch. Red nodded and went to set the tray down, but she tripped over the leg of the coffee table and the tray's contents went flying towards Blood, splattering tea all over his clothes.

"I-I'm sorry!" Red said as she scrambled to her feet. Blood glared down at her and picked his cane up off the floor. Red didn't have time to get away before he brought his cane down hard, hitting her on the head, causing her to fall down. Her vision blurred and the room began to spin before everything went black. Blood only sneered at her before going off to change before heading out, leaving Red lying on the floor.

...

Red sat up and looked around. This was Blood's office. How did she get here? She rubbed her aching head as she tried to collect her thoughts. It slowly began to come back to her and she got up off the floor. Blood... he had tricked her. He lied to her. He made her think that he was her big brother. She was filled with guilt upon remembering the looks on the Joker's faces when she chose Blood over them.

Red immediately ran out the door and down the hallway. She had to get back home. Her real big brothers were waiting for her.

...

After frantically searching for what seemed like forever, Red managed to find White in his bedroom, sitting on the couch on the opposite side of the room.

"Big brother!" She shouted as she ran over to him. White looked up with surprise as she jumped onto the couch and climbed into his lap.

"Red... you've finally come home." White said in relief as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm so sorry big brother!" Red cried as she buried her face into his chest.

"Sorry? For what sweetheart?" White asked.

"For making you sad!" Red said. White smiled at her and petted her head.

"It wasn't your fault darling. I'm just glad you're back. Are you alright?" White asked, looking her over and noticing more bruises.

"I'm okay... but my head kinda hurts." She said. White lightly touched the bump on her head, causing her to wince.

"Just lie down darling. I'll be right back." White said as he stood up and laid her on the couch before leaving the room.

White returned a few minutes later with Black following after him carrying a bag of ice. Black sat down beside her and placed the ice on her head while White sat next to him.

"Glad to have you back kid." Black said. Red sat up and snuggled up against him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.

"I'm sorry big brother. I won't ever leave you again!" Red said.

"Hey now, it's alright ki- I mean, sis." Black said as he hugged her back.

"Soft like a teddy bear~!" White said as he poked Black's cheek. Black glared at him before returning his attention back to Red.

"Now Red, why don't you tell us exactly what happened?"

...

"Red! You're back!" Alice exclaimed as she ripped her out of White's arms. After hearing about Red getting back her memories, she immediately came to see her. She had found all three of them in Red's bedroom.

"I missed you so much! I'm glad you're okay!" Alice said as she hugged Red tightly.

"Alice-!" Red choked out as she was squeezed half to death.

"And I have a surprise for you!" Alice announced as she set her back down. She took off the bag that hung around her shoulder and set it down on the bed. Red's face paled as Alice pulled out a mess of frills and ribbons. It was a red dress with white ruffles and white puffy sleeves. Two red and white bows were placed on the sides of the bottom of the dress. Red ribbon laced up the middle and ruffles lined the collar.

Alice continued to dig in her bag and pulled out a pair of white, frilly, fingerless gloves surrounded by red ribbon, along with a two hair bows that matched the ones on the dress. The last thing was a pair of red flats with ribbons that wrapped around her legs and were tied with a red bow.

"Vivaldi thought that since the ball is so soon, that you should have a brand new dress to wear for it! What do you think Red?" Alice asked. Red didn't answer, for she was in shock from the sight of the outfit that she would be forced into. She looked to the Jokers with pleading eyes, begging for them to do something.

"There is no f***ing way Red-!"

"It's lovely Alice! I'm sure Red appreciates it!" White said, interrupting Black while sending Red an apologetic look. He knew there was nothing they could do about it. It was not wise to get in the way of those women and cute things.

"Great! Well I have to go for now. I've got to get some parts for Julius but I just wanted to make sure you were alright first. Goodbye Red!" Alice said before leaving the room. Red just stared at the dress lying on her bed before turning to glare at White.

"Traitor."

**Due to a special request, Red's new dress is an outfit shown in the anime "Shugo Chara!", episode 33 to be exact, worn by Amu Hinamori. And remember, I still take suggestions/ideas/requests ^-^**


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33: The Ball

**COMPLETELY UNIMPORTANT ANNOUCEMENT! "Red Joker" now officially has more reviews/favorites/alerts/views than the original "Red"! Yay! I feel so accomplished! Thank you so much my dear readers~! :D**

Red pouted in defeat as Black carried her through the forest in her new dress with White at his side. It was the day of the ball and after a bit of a struggle, including dragging her out from under her bed, White had managed to get her into her dress, while Black just sat back and watched, laughing at his attempts. The Jokers each wore a similar black suit, except White had a red tie and a white shirt, while Black had a black tie and a gray shirt.

"Sorry sis, but we're not happy about this either." Black said.

"At least you don't have to wear a dress." Red grumbled.

"It won't be that bad Red." White said.

"But what about Blood?" Red asked.

"Don't worry about him sweetheart. He won't be an issue."

…

"Oh look, one of your friends from the amusement park. Why don't you go play with him for awhile? Joker and I have something we need to take care of." White said as he pointed in their direction.

"Okay big brother!" Red said before hurrying off towards the other side of the ballroom.

"You've got the stuff right?" Black asked, turning towards White. White reached into his pocket and pulled out a small vial filled with a dark blue liquid.

"Now let's find that b******."

…

"Pierce!" Red called as she approached him. Pierce quickly spun around with wide eyes, frightened at sound of his name being called

"Yay it's Red!" Pierce exclaimed when he realized it was only her. He was was wearing a simple black suit with a white shirt underneath and a dark green bow tie.

"You look so cute chu~! That dress is adorable on you!" He said. Red scowled and tugged on the ruffles of her dress.

"Vivaldi gave it to me..." Red grumbled, still not pleased with the situation.

"Hey Red, why don't we dance?" Pierce suggested.

"Dance?" Red questioned.

"Yeah, it's a ball, so why not?" He said. Red considered it for a moment, but then she frowned.

"But I don't know how..." She said disappointedly.

"Don't worry, I'll show you chu~!" Pierce said as he took her hands. The size difference made it a bit difficult, but they managed. They started out slowly as he showed her the steps. Red kept watching her feet in fear that she would step on him. After a while, Red got the hang of it and they danced freely, not noticing the pair of eyes watching them from across the room.

...

"Oh calm down Joker. She's only eight!" White said as Black glared at the boy who dared to dance with little Red.

"She'll grow up someday, and if that damn mouse tries anything..." Black growled, his eye never leaving the two.

"It's a bit early to be worrying about that don't you think?" White said in an amused tone.

"So what do you plan on doing the day she brings a boy home?" Black asked, turning to look at him.

"Well then I'll make sure to let that gentleman know what will happen if he makes our little girl cry." White said, his cheery smile never leaving his face.

"For now, let's focus on the task at hand shall we?" White said as he held up the suspicious vial of liquid. Black nodded and continued to scan the area until his eye landed on their victim.

"There's the b******." He said in low voice as he pointed to the corner of the room where Blood was standing with his back to them. He was holding a cup of tea and seemed to be talking to a woman. The woman was Alice, who was backed into the corner. Blood had one hand on the wall while he leaned against the other, preventing her from leaving.

"Perfect." White said. The Jokers then quietly made their way across the room and stopped behind Blood.

"Excuse me, but I do believe that young lady wishes to leave." White said as he tapped on Blood's shoulder. Blood turned his head and glared at him.

"This does not concern you clown." Blood growled. Knocking his hand out of the way, Black grabbed Alice and pulled her out of the corner. When Blood turned his attention away from him, White quickly poured the vial of liquid into his teacup and slipped the empty vial into his pocket.

"We'll be taking Alice, if you don't mind." White said as he placed his hand on her shoulder and guided her away, leaving a fuming Blood behind. They led her over to a couch and White sat down next to her.

"Thanks you two. I'm not sure how long I would've been stuck there if you hadn't come along." Alice said.

"Don't mention it Alice. Joker, why don't you go and get Red? I'll stay here with Alice." White said.

"Yeah, I was meaning to have a word with that rat anyway." Black said before walking off.

"What was Black talking about?" Alice asked.

"Oh, it was nothing Alice."

…

Red and Pierce were still dancing when Pierce suddenly stopped and backed away, looking behind her with fear in his eyes. Red turned around to Black standing behind her and his glare immediately turned to a smile.

"Hey sis, why don't you come back with me? Alice is waiting for you." Black said.

"Okay!" Red said and turned back to Pierce.

"Goodbye Pierce! Thanks for dancing with me!" She said before Black took her hand and began to lead her away, but not before sending one last warning look towards the trembling mouse.

…

"Oh Red! I knew that dress was perfect!" Alice exclaimed as Red joined her on the couch on the opposite side of White while Black to a seat next to her.

"Are you having fun Red?" Alice asked.

"Yeah! Pierce taught me how to dance!" Red exclaimed, causing Alice to giggle.

"That's wonder-" Alice started, but stopped when someone approached them.

"My my, abandoning me to spend time with this scum? I'm insulted, Alice." Blood said as he stood in front of them, sipping his tea. Red flinched and cowered against Black, looking at Blood with wide, fearful eyes.

"I will spend time with whoever I choose, and I'm not choosing you, so get away from me." Alice said angrily. Blood ignored her and turned his attention to the trembling little girl.

"Well if it isn't little Red. Why don't you come with your big brother darling?" Blood said. Before either of the Jokers could retaliate, Red spoke up.

"You're not my big brother! You're a, a f***ing b******!" Red shouted, with absolutely no idea what the words actually meant, but it was what she had heard her big brother Black call him. There was a moment of silence before White burst into laughter and Alice turned to glare at Black, who's jaw had fallen to the floor.

"I told you not to swear in front of her!" Alice chided.

"I didn't think she'd actually repeat it!" Black said. White didn't say anything, for he was still laughing uncontrollably.

"She'd better not say anything like that again, or you'll be the one with a bar of soap crammed down your throat!" Alice threatened. The look in her eyes told Black that she meant it.

"And White, stop laughing and correct her like an older brother is supposed to!" Alice demanded. White's laughter died down and he shook his finger at Red.

"No-no, darling. You shouldn't be using that kind of language." He scolded lightly.

"So you've even managed to tame the Jokers. Well done Alice, your skills of manipulating men are quite impressive." Blood said with a smirk.

"Like you're one to talk about manipulation you sleazy jerk!" Alice spat angrily. Blood's smirk only grew as he continued to taunt her.

"You're so cruel Ali- ack!" He stopped mid-sentence and began coughing uncontrollably.

"Blood!" Alice exclaimed as she jumped up off the couch. The Jokers only grinned for they knew that the poison was beginning to take effect. Drops of crimson began to drip from his mouth as he struggled to breathe. Black covered Red's eyes, for the last thing he wanted was for her to be even more traumatized.

"Elliot!" Alice called. Elliot, who had stayed away, not wanting to be involved in his Boss's attempts to cause a scene, immediately ran to Blood's side, who was now hunched over on the ground.

"Elliot, help me get him to one of the guest rooms." Alice instructed. Elliot nodded and helped Blood up. The two of them walked away with Blood in tow, leaving Red and the Jokers sitting on the couch. Black removed his hands from Red's eyes and their grins disappeared.

"What happened to Blood?" Red asked.

"He's probably just sick sweetheart. I'm sure he'll be fine." White said. Red didn't look convinced. She may have hated Blood, but that didn't mean she wanted him to die.

"How about a dance with your big brother huh?" White asked as he stood up, holding his hand out to her. Red smiled at him and took his hand as she hopped off the couch. White led her to the dance floor with Black following behind and he lifted her up off the ground. He held her up with one arm and held her hand out to the side with the other. He swayed and spun to the music playing in the background with Red giggling in his arms.

"Can I cut in?" Black asked after a few minutes. White handed her over and Black danced with her until she began to grow tired.

"It's getting late. We should probably get her home." White said.

"Yeah, you're right. Let's go Red... Red?" Black looked down at her and realized she had fallen asleep on his shoulder.

"Aw, she's all worn out." White said as he brushed a stray strand of hair from her sleeping face. They made their way to the exit with little Red in tow. The ballroom was mostly empty by now for most people had already left. They were just about to leave when they noticed Alice standing by the door. She looked tired and had a worried expression on her face.

"Oh hello Alice, you're still here? It's quite late you know." White said as he stayed behind to talk to her while Black took Red home. She seemed to snap out of some kind of trance as she looked up at him.

"I was just about to leave. I stayed a bit longer to make sure Blood would be alright." Alice said.

"Oh? And how is he?" White asked with fake concern.

"A doctor came by to see him earlier. He said that he had been poisoned. He gave him the antidote, but it will take several days to kick in." Alice said.

"How unfortunate." White said. By that he meant, "How unfortunate it is that he won't die a slow and painful death".

"It's not like he didn't deserve it. But I'm glad it isn't fatal, at least." Alice said.

"It should have been..." White mumbled under his breath.

"What was that?" Alice asked.

"Oh nothing. I should be going now. Take care Alice!" White said with a wave as he left, leaving a rather confused Alice behind.

…

"The poison didn't work. He was able to get the antidote in time." White said into the mask as he walked back towards the circus.

"F***! He should be disabled for awhile at least right?" Black asked from the mask.

"Yes, little Red should be safe. For now."


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34:

It had been a few days since ball and White had a show planned for today. Red stood at the entrance and greeted customers as they came in before the show started. It was a job that White had given her, and she was happy to help out any way she could. She had seen Elliot and the Bloody twins, but Blood wasn't with them. She assumed he was still sick, which was good for her, considering he was the last person she wanted to see today.

After she had greeted the roleholders from both the castle and the tower and avoided the Hatter mansion roleholders, she still had not seen Boris, Gowland, or most importantly, Pierce. She had wanted to see him before the show, but he hadn't shown up yet. She had started to think that he wasn't coming when she heard his voice coming from nearby.

"H-hey! Stop! Get away from me!" He shouted in a scared voice. Red quickly ran to the source of the sound, which was coming from the forest. Peeking behind a tree, she saw the Pierce being harassed by the Bloody twins. He was backed up against a tree while the twins, in their child forms, threw rocks at the frightened mouse. Red scowled and balled her little hands into fists. Why couldn't they just leave him alone?

Something inside of her snapped as she walked towards them from behind, quietly so that they didn't hear her approaching. She had gotten fed up with their constant harassment of not only her, but poor little Pierce as well. She reached up and tapped Dee on the shoulder. When he turned his head, she swung her tiny fist at his face. Despite her size, she hit him with enough force to knock him over.

"Brother!" Dum shouted. Before he could react, she threw another punch at him, hitting him in the jaw. They looked up at her from the ground in shock, for this was the first time they had ever seen her use any form of violence.

"Leave Pierce alone you stupid bullies!" Red shouted at them. Suddenly she heard laughing behind her and turned to see Boris.

"Nice one Red!" Boris said and gave her a high five of approval.

"And you two, beaten up by a little girl? You guys have really lost your touch." He said with a snicker. The twins skulked away in embarrassment.

"Boris! Pierce! You better hurry, the show's about to start!" Red said.

"Do you wanna come watch the show with us chu~?" Pierce asked.

"Thanks, but I have to do some things for my big brother. I'll see you later okay?" Red said.

"Okay, bye Red!"

"See ya later kid!"

…

While the show was going on, Red went off to do another job that White gave her. She had practically begged him to let her help with something. He had managed to come up with a little chore that she could do to keep her busy. What he had told her to do was to repaint the sign in front of one of the game stands that had become faded. After gathering the paint and brushes from the supply tent, she headed over to the stand.

Red knelt down on the ground and began to paint a new coat over the old one. It wasn't a difficult job, all she had to do was put down a fresh coat and repaint the letters. While she was painting, she she felt something soft patting her knee.

"Mew!" She looked down to see a little kitten sitting next to her. It was an orange tabby with white paws and had a little splotch of white around its nose. It rubbed its head against her knee and let out another cry. Red set down her paintbrush and petted the kitten's head.

"Meeeew!" It cried. It sounded like it was in pain.

"Are you hurt?" Red asked worriedly. Then she noticed that it was limping.

"Poor kitty! Don't worry, I'll help you!" Red said as she scooped him up into her arms. She wasn't sure what to do with him, considering White was busy.

"I know kitty! Big brother Black will know what to do!" Red said as she stood up. The painting would have to wait.

…

"Big brother! Big Brother!" Red called as she opened the door to Black's office and hurried over to his desk.

"What's wrong sis?" He asked as he looked up from his paperwork. Red held up the little kitten and Black immediately stiffened.

'F***! She wants to keep the damn thing!' Black thought to himself. He began internally panicking as he tried to think of a way to say no, which of course, he couldn't.

"It's hurt big brother! Do something please!" Red cried, nearly in tears.

"Meeew!"

"Red I uh, I don't know-" Black began. It wasn't that he didn't want to help her, he just had no idea what to do.

"Please!" She begged, her eyes beginning to water.

"Alright, Alright, give it here." He said and took the kitten from her. Upon closer inspection he saw that its front leg was injured. He then remembered that White had hired a vet to care for the circus animals.

"Come on sis, we'll get this... thing taken care of." Black said as he stood up from the desk. Red took his hand as they walked out of his office and into the circus. Various awws could be heard from passing faceless customers and performers as the fearsome warden of Wonderland walked through the crowds with a tiny kitten cradled in one arm as he held the hand of an adorable little girl with the other. He couldn't care less, considering his reputation was destroyed a long time ago thanks to said little girl.

Black found the veterinarian's tent and took Red and the little kitten inside. The vet was currently leaning over a tiger that laid on a metal slab. Black cleared his throat in order to get his attention.

"Oh! Joker sir, is there something I can help you with?" The vet asked as he turned around. Red took the kitten from Black and presented it to the vet.

"It's hurt mister!" Red said as she held it up. The vet smiled at her and took it from her hands and began to inspect it.

"Oh, this isn't bad at all! Give me just a minute." He said before turning around and reaching into his medical bag. As Black and Red waited, White came into the tent.

"There you two are! What are you doing in here?" White asked with a smile.

"I found a kitty! But it was hurt, so big brother Black took it here!" Red explained.

"Well wasn't that sweet of you Joker." White teased, earning a dirty look from Black.

"But the reason I came to see you little Red, is because of what I heard some of my performers talking about backstage." White said as he knelt down in front of her. Red tilted her head in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" Black asked.

"Apparently little Red gave the Bloody twins quite a hit. One of them even had a black eye." White said with a chuckle. Black just stared down at Red for a moment before leaning down and sweeping her off her feet.

"Now that's my girl!" He exclaimed proudly and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Red was slightly shocked. Normally he wasn't this publicly affectionate with her.

"Heh, maybe teaching you some self defense techniques wouldn't be such a waste of time." Black said.

"Let's not get carried away Joker." White said with a chuckle.

"Excuse me, Joker sir." Black turned around to see the vet holding the kitten, it's leg all wrapped up in bandages. Red took it from him and cradled it in her arms, careful to avoid touching its injured leg.

"Thank you mister!" Red said to the vet.

"Don't mention it little miss." The vet said with a smile.

"Have you thought of a name for it yet sweetheart?" White asked.

"A name?" Red questioned.

"Of course! If you're going to keep it, you're going to need a name for it!" White said. Red looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Really? ! I can keep it?" Red said excitedly.

"She can keep it? !" Black exclaimed.

"I don't see why not. I'm sure little Red will take care of it just fine, right sweetie?" White said.

"I promise big brother!" Red said as she hugged the little kitten.

"Alright, alright, fine!" Black said.

"Yay! Thank you big brother!" Red said as she gave him a hug with her free arm.

"Mew!" The kitten cried as it leaned over and licked him on the nose, causing him to cringe.

"Why don't you take it to your room Red? It could probably use some rest." White said.

"Okay big brother!" Red said as Black set her down and happily made her way out of the veterinarian's tent with her new kitten in her arms.

**For the longest time I've wanted to have Red punch someone in the face. Now I am satisfied. Also, I like kittens :3**


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Down in Flames

"I'll be back soon Red. Stay right here okay?" White said. Apparently a riot had broken out in the prison, big enough that Black couldn't handle it himself, so White took Red to the circus to play until they had gotten it taken care of. Red only nodded, for her attention was focused on the little kitten in front of her. White smiled at her before hurrying out of the tent, which was completely empty for the faceless were busy outside preparing for the next show. After he left, Red went back to playing with the kitten, whom she had named "Oliver". It had only taken a few days for his leg to heal, and since then he had not left Red's side. Black wasn't thrilled about having a fuzzy little animal running around, but after seeing how happy it made Red, he quickly got over it.

Red giggled as she held the little toy mouse over Oliver's head, watching as he jumped and batted at it. She felt a lot less lonely with Oliver around. Even when Black and White were busy, and Alice wasn't around, she still had someone to keep her company, which was the main reason White had allowed her to keep it. She was so distracted by the kitten that she failed to notice the commotion outside the tent.

Suddenly, she noticed the smoke that swirled in large gray clouds around her. She turned around, although she assumed the smoke was just from one of the acts. She gasped when she saw a big orange flame that had engulfed the entrance of the tent. It was then that she noticed the yelling going on outside. She quickly picked up Oliver and looked for a way out, but that was the only exit. She began tugging on the bottom of the tent, trying to lift it up just enough so that she could crawl through, but it was held down tight. She reached for her knife in order to hopefully cut the fabric of the tent so that she could escape. Unfortunately, she had left it in her bedroom.

Red screamed for help as the flames began to climb up the walls of the tent. The crackling of the flames surrounded her as she gripped Oliver tightly. She heard a loud crack from above and before she could look up, debris fell from the ceiling. She fell to the ground, letting Oliver jump out of her arms as she was hit. Although she was not badly hurt, her foot had gotten stuck underneath the pile of debris. The mask from her hair bow had fallen out of her hair and landed in the flames, preventing her from calling for the Jokers. She tried to pull her foot free, but it was no use. Oliver bit down on her shirt collar and tried to pull her free himself, but it obviously didn't help much.

Red began coughing as the smoke filled her lungs and she shut her eyes tight due to the stinging caused by the heavy smoke. The flames were getting close, dangerously close. The heat was almost unbearable. Oliver let go of Red's shirt and squeezed underneath a small opening in the tent.

Oliver glanced around the circus, looking for someone that could save his owner, but the rest of the circus was in such a state of chaos that nobody noticed him. All of the animals had been let loose, the stalls had been trashed, and half of White's employees had been killed in a bloody massacre. He meowed loudly, but the performers just ran past him. Suddenly, he noticed the red headed men that his owner seemed so fond of. They looked around in surprise and confusion at the mess that was once a circus.

"Meow!" Oliver cried as he ran over to them. When they didn't hear him, he was forced to take more drastic measures. He latched onto Black's leg and sunk his claws deep into his skin.

"Son of a f***ing b****!" He shouted as he jumped back.

"Meeeooooow!" Oliver howled.

"What the f*** you stupid cat! ?" Black shouted. Ignoring him, Oliver bit down on White's sash and began tugging on it, urging him to follow.

"What is it Oliver? Where is Red?" White asked in a panicked voice, realizing that Red was not with him. Oliver let go of him and darted off in the direction of the tent. The Jokers ran after him, following him until he came to a stop in front of them. They skidded to a stop behind him and their eyes grew wide when they saw the smoke coming out from the top of the tent.

"Meow!" Oliver cried before ducking into the burning tent. The Jokers went in behind him, completely disregarding the flames. Oliver ran to the back of the tent, leaping over the piles of rubble and ducking under fallen planks. He found Red exactly where he had left her. He rubbed his head against her cheek and her eyes opened slightly.

"Mew!"

"Oliver..." She mumbled weakly before coughing yet again.

"Red!" The Jokers exclaimed as they found them. Black yanked her free while White cut a slit in the tent for them to slip through. Black carried Red out first, followed by White, and Oliver came out last.

"Joker, take her to the prison and keep her safe. I'll stay here and get this mess sorted out. My employees and I can handle it... well what's left of them anyway." White said. Black glanced around the circus and sighed. It would take weeks to get the circus up and running again and they would be busier than ever before. But with the severity of the situation, Red could not be left alone. They still had no idea who was responsible for this.

"Alright... Let's go Red." Black said before taking the two of them to the prison, with Oliver of course tagging along. He carried her down the hallway to his bedroom and laid her down on the bed. Although she had not been injured, she was weakened from the ordeal. He helped her out of her soot and ash covered clothing and slipped one of his own gray, long sleeved shirts over her. Oliver jumped onto the bed and cuddled up next to her while Black took a seat at the end of bed watching the door intently with his hand on his whip, ready in case someone dared to try and sneak in.

"Mew?" Oliver lifted his head up and looked at Black. He smiled slightly at the kitten and petted him on the head.

"I almost forgot to thank you. You saved our little sis, cat." Black said.

"Mew!" Black chuckled as the little kitten climbed on top of Red's sleeping body and curled up on her stomach.

"I guess it wasn't such a bad idea to let Red keep you." Black said as he scratched him behind the ear.

About an hour later, he heard footsteps in the hall. The footsteps stopped in front of the door and he heard a click, signaling that the door had been unlocked. He quickly pointed his whip at the door as the knob turned. He struck the moment the door opened and revealed the intruder.

"Hey! It's only me Joker!" White exclaimed, fortunately dodging the attack. Black only rolled his eyes as he tossed the whip aside.

"Did you find out who the f*** it was that attacked us?" Black asked.

"Not yet. But I was able to capture one of them. I have a feeling we'll know soon enough." White said.

"In that case, you stay here and watch over the kid, and I'll try and get some information out of the f***er." Black said as he stood up.

"Why do you get to do the fun stuff?" White pouted.

"I'm the warden, therefor I deal with the interrogations. Besides, someone has to look after Red until with figure this sh** out." Black said before leaving the room. White sighed and sat down next to Red. There was a lot of damage done to the circus. Hardly anything survived the attack. His employee's clocks had already been gathered up and taken to Julius, but it could be days until they would be repaired. They would also have to pay special attention to Red. They wouldn't be able to take their eyes off of her for a minute until whoever had done this had been caught. After all, Red's safety was what mattered most.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Repairs

Red sat on a crate with Oliver on her lap in the middle of what was once a circus, watching her older brothers and what was left of White's employees as they worked hard to repair what had been destroyed. The animals had already been rounded up and put back into their cages. The tent was nothing but shreds of fabric and a few support beams and what was left of the stalls laid in a scattered mess on the ground. Rotted food, popped balloons, and the shredded remains of stuffed animals were being swept away and wooden planks that could be reused were being gathered up. The Jokers were currently taking down the remains of the tent.

Black had not been very successful in getting information from their prisoner, for he had accidentally killed him before he could get anything useful out of him. But he had managed to learn that there was a group that consisted of ex-convicts that was plotting against them, but who was involved, where they were located, and what they were planning next was still unknown.

"Oh my god! This is worse than I thought!" All three of them turned to see Alice coming towards them, walking through the cluttered mess.

"Oh hello Alice! I'm sorry about the mess. I'm afraid we're still cleaning up." White said as he dropped the wooden plank he had in his hands and walked over to her.

"I heard about what happened. I'm really sorry, but I'm you're all alright at least." Alice said.

"I wish I could say the same for my circus..." White said.

"Hey! Get your lazy a** back here! I'm not doing all this sh** by myself!" Black shouted, causing Alice to turn and glare at him.

"What did I say about swearing in front of Red?" Alice asked in a low, dangerous voice.

"I'll swear all I f***ing want!" Black shouted back.

"Oh, is that so?" Alice asked as she walked towards him. He raised an eyebrow at her as she rummaged around in her purse.

"Hey, wait, what are you-! ?" Black was silenced as Alice shoved a bar of soap into his mouth.

"Blech! What the fu- heck woman! ?" He exclaimed as he spit it out along with the foam that poured out of his mouth and sent a glare towards White, who was laughing hysterically in the background.

"I warned you didn't I? You should be setting a good example for Red! And there's no way I'm going to let her talk like that!" Alice said. Black bit back a rude remark as he wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"And by the way, are you sure it's a good idea to have Red out here? She could get hurt!" Alice said, looking at all the splintered wood and broken glass that was scattered around the circus.

"We don't have much of a choice. This job requires both of us, and we can't leave Red alone, not until we catch who is responsible for this." White explained. Alice thought for a moment before her eyes lit up in excitement.

"I know! She could stay at the tower with me, at least until you finish getting the circus back up and running." Alice suggested.

"Are you sure Alice?" White asked.

"Of course! It won't be any problem, and Gray, Nightmare, and Julius will be able to fend off anyone that tries to hurt her. She'll be fine." Alice said.

"What do you think Red? Do you want to go stay with Alice?" White asked, turning to Red.

"Can Oliver come too?" Red asked as she lifted the little kitten up.

"Of course Red." Alice said with a smile as she petted him on the head.

"We'll escort you two to the tower, just to be safe." White said as he picked Red up off the crate, causing Oliver to jump down.

…

White carried Red while Alice held Oliver, with Black trailing behind silently fuming, for he was still a bit grumpy from earlier events, carrying a few of Red's things in small black and red checkered suitcase. When they reached the tower, Gray carried Red's things up to a guest room, with Oliver happily following behind, leaving Alice and the Jokers in the main room.

"Alright sweetheart, we'll see you soon. You be a good girl okay?" White said.

"Okay big brother." Red said. White smiled at her and gave her a kiss on the cheek before setting her down on the floor. Red turned and gave Black a hug goodbye before going to Alice's side.

"Goodbye Red."

"See ya sis."

And with that, the Jokers left to continue with the circus repairs. Alice took Red upstairs to the guest room, which was located right next to Alice's room. When they got there, they saw Gray standing at the door, holding Oliver purring in his arms.

"I think this belongs to you." Gray said as he handed the kitten to Red. Oliver looked up at him from Red's arms and meowed happily.

"He likes you mister Gray!" Red said, smiling brightly. Gray couldn't help but smile at her and Alice giggled at how adorable she was.

"Let's go get your things unpacked, alright sweetie?" Alice said as she took Red's free hand.

"Okay Alice. Bye mister Gray!" Red said as Alice led her into the room.

The bedroom was like the rest of the tower, green and blue being the main color scheme and decorated with clovers. There was a canopy bed in the middle of the room on top of a green rug with mint green curtains draped over it. The comforter was dark blue and sheets that matched the curtains with several pillows in multiple shades of green. A dark blue nightstand stood next to the bed and a matching dresser was placed to the left of the bed. Red sat at the end of the bed while Alice started to put away her clothes in the dresser. Oliver was playing with Liam on the floor, tugging at the yellow ribbon around his neck.

"How long do think do you think it will be until the circus is fixed?" Red asked.

"I don't know really, but I'm sure the Jokers will have it up and running again in no time." Alice said.

"I hope so..." Red mumbled. Alice stopped what she was doing and sat down next to Red, putting an arm around her shoulder.

"It'll be fine Red. I'll take care of you, and Julius, Nightmare, and Gray will protect you from any bad people that try to hurt you. Then, in a few days, your big brothers will come and take you home, okay Red?" Alice said comfortingly.

"Okay Alice." Red said with a small smile. Alice went back to unpacking Red's things when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in!" Alice said. The door opened and Julius walked in.

"Hi mister Julius!" Red chirped happily. Julius only nodded in acknowledgment.

"Is there something you need Julius?" Alice asked.

"I need you to run into town to buy some more parts. I just received another bunch of clocks and I don't have time to do it myself." He said.

"Alright Julius. I'll go right away." Alice said as she stood up. Julius nodded and left the room, undoubtedly to return to his work.

"Red, you stay here where it's safe. I'll only be gone a few minutes." Alice said. She was not at all concerned about leaving her at the tower. She had an ex-assassin, an incubus, and... Julius, to protect her. Surely, no one would be able to get to her.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37:

Red sat in her room and waited for Alice to return, playing with Oliver to keep her entertained. Although she was already missing her big brothers, she was also looking forward to staying at the tower. It didn't have the scary, sad feeling that the prison had, nor was it overly bright and crowded like the circus. She didn't really see much of the tower residents either, only a few times had she actually gone to the tower, and usually, it wasn't just a nonchalant visit.

After about half an hour of waiting, Red heard footsteps in the hallway, coming towards her bedroom. Assuming it was Alice, she got up off the floor and walked towards the door, while Oliver was too distracted by Liam's yellow ribbon to notice she had left. As she stepped out into the hallway, she saw that it was only Boris.

"Hey kid! What are you doing here?" Boris asked.

"I'm staying at the tower until the circus gets fixed." Red said.

"Oh yeah, I heard about that. Whole place got burned down. The old man wouldn't shut up about the lack of competition. With the circus out of commission, he's practically raking in the cash." Boris said.

"By the way, where's Alice? I came by to bring her to the amusement park." Boris asked.

"Oh, she went to go get some parts for Julius! She said she would be back soon." Red said. Boris frowned in disappointment, ears flattening against his head, before perking up.

"Why don't you come with me instead? I'm sure Pierce would like to see you~" Boris said teasingly. Red felt a blush form over her cheeks, although she didn't know why.

"I-I can't. Alice said to stay here where it's safe." Red said, turning her face away from him.

"Oh c'mon! You'll be with me! What's safer than that?" Boris said.

"I don't know..." Red mumbled.

"You worry too much! You'll be fine!" Boris said before grabbing her by the hand. Ignoring her protests, he pulled her down the hallway and towards the front door.

…

"And here we are!" Boris announced as they stopped in front of the amusement park gates. Red was hunched over, panting heavily from exhaustion after being dragged all the way there.

"You couldn't have gone a bit slower?" Red said as she tried to catch her breath.

"Heheh, sorry kid." Boris said apologetically.

"Now where's that rat?" Boris mumbled as he looked around.

"I'll go track him down. You can just wait here and rest alright?" Boris said. Red nodded and sat down on a bench while Boris ran off. As soon as he was out of sight, she heard a familiar squeak coming from the bushes beside her.

"Pierce?" She called out as she peered into the bush. She wasn't at all surprised when Pierce popped out and enveloped her in a hug.

"I'm glad you're okay chu~! I was so scared when I heard about what happened!" He exclaimed he squeezed her tightly.

"Now let's go before the kitty gets back!" Pierce said, and before she could protest, she was dragged off back into the forest.

…

Gray had decided to check up on Red awhile after Alice had left, just to make sure she was alright. He knocked on her door, but she didn't answer. Growing a little concerned, he stepped inside, but he only found Oliver, playing with the stuffed cat. Hearing him come in, Oliver stopped what he was doing and trotted over to Gray.

"Mew!" He cried. Gray was worried seeing the loyal kitten without his owner by his side. Fearing the worst, he went to check the rest of the tower. He looked in each room, and under every table, bed, and desk in the tower. He checked with Julius, Nightmare, and every faceless worker in case they'd seen her, but none of them had. Knowing Alice would be devastated, and extremely pissed off at him if anything happened to Red, he wasted no time running off to find her.

…

Pierce and Red managed to run into danger almost immediately. They had only gotten a little ways into the forest when they were surrounded by a group of very intimidating looking faceless. Red clung to Pierce's jacket as she hid behind him in fear. Pierce of course was frightened, but he did his best to look brave for Red's sake. He held his knife in one hand while guarding Red with the other.

"Let us have the girl, rat." One of them sneered.

"No! You can't have her!" Pierce said. The man lunged at him and tried to shove him out of the way, but Pierce took his knife and rammed it into his neck.

"Boss!" The others shouted as he fell to the ground. Pierce grabbed Red and ran away as fast as he possibly could. He heard the shouts of the men as they abandoned their boss and chased after them.

Once the men were out of sight, Pierce stopped by tree and set Red down. He pulled two glass bottles out of his pocket and handed one to Red. It was filled with pink liquid and had a tag hanging from it that read 'drink me'.

"Red, drink this, quick!" He said. Red did as he said and drank the bottle of liquid as Pierce did the same. Red felt a strange tingling feeling and suddenly everything began to get bigger.

"Pierce! What was that stuff? !" Red exclaimed as she shrank to only a few inches tall.

"I'll explain later! Come with me!" Pierce said as he grabbed her by the hand and dived into a hole in the base of the tree. Red was amazed to see that it wasn't just a hole, but an entire house. It was cluttered with small trinkets such as buttons, keys, marbles, bottles, and even jewelry. It was furnished with what seemed like dollhouse furniture and other small objects. There was a table in the middle of the room with four chairs that didn't match in all different colors and sizes. In the corner, there was a matchbox stuffed with blankets and pillows with various colors and patterns that Pierce used for a bed. There were also several shelves filled with books and even more small treasures, although Red couldn't imagine where he managed to find books that small.

"What is this place?" Red asked as she turned to Pierce.

"This is my home chu~! It's perfect for hiding, although you have to drink the potion in order to get inside." Pierce explained.

"They won't find us here, will they?" Red asked worriedly.

"Don't worry chu~! Hardly anyone knows about this place! We'll be just fine!" Pierce said. Just seconds after he said this, the time changed to night, and the entire room went dark.

"Ah! Pierce!" Red shouted. Red was afraid of a lot of things, but the dark was probably the worst.

"It's okay chu~!" Pierce said. Suddenly, she heard a scraping sound and a faint light filled the room. She turned and saw Pierce standing beside a lit candle that sat by the doorway, holding a used match in his hands.

"I guess we'll have to stay here for the night chu~" Pierce said as he crossed the room. She heard him rummaging around for a few moments before he returned, holding one of his own pale yellow shirts lined with red fabric.

"Here, you can sleep in this chu~" He said as he handed it to her. She stepped into the part of the room where he couldn't see her and quickly changed. When she was done, she saw that Pierce was waiting for her. He lead her over to his bed and she climbed in. He got in with and put his arms around her, cuddling up to her.

"Goodnight little Red chu~"


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Coffee is not for Kids

Gray sighed as he leaned against a tree. He had yet to find Red, and he knew that Alice would be back soon, if she wasn't already. He had already checked every territory, except for the circus, for he was pretty sure she wouldn't be there. Nobody at the castle had seen her, and the gatekeepers had claimed the Hatters had nothing to do with her disappearance. For whatever reason, Gray actually believed that they were telling the truth. The only actual information he had received was at the amusement park, where Boris had told him that he had in fact taken Red from the tower, but he had lost her. He managed not to strangle the cat and continued his search in the forest.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of frantic footsteps and through the trees, he saw as the dormouse ran past, carrying the little girl he was searching for. He called out for him to stop, but Pierce obviously didn't hear him. He ran through the trees and began to chase after them when he heard more hurried footsteps behind him. He stopped in his tracks and spun around in time to see a mob of armed faceless men skid to a stop in front of him. His eyes narrowed dangerously as he pulled out the knives from his sleeves. The men attacked, but they were no match for the trained ex-assassin. In just a few seconds, the men where nothing a bloody mess on the ground. But by the time he had finished, Pierce and little Red were nowhere to be seen.

…

When Red awoke, she saw that it was daylight outside and the inside of the tree was thoroughly lit. She also noticed that Pierce was gone. She sat up and saw Pierce sitting at the table, drinking out of a thimble.

"Ah, you're awake chu~!" Pierce exclaimed. Red yawned and got out of bed before tiredly staggering towards the table and taking a seat across from him.

"Here, this will wake you up chu~!" He said as he set a thimble full of a dark brown liquid in front of her.

"Thank you for letting me stay here Pierce, but I really should get back to the tower." Red said as she took the drink from him.

"I'll take you there chu~! The bad people might hurt you if you go alone." Pierce said.

"Thank you Pierce." Red said as she took a sip of the drink he had given her.

"Bleh! What was that stuff?" Red exclaimed, cringing at the bitterness.

"It's coffee! Don't you like it?" Pierce asked.

"It's kind of... bitter." Red said.

"Add some sugar chu~!" Pierce said as he pushed the sugar bowl towards her. After adding a few heaping spoonfuls of sugar, she tried it again. It was much sweeter this time, which was much more pleasing to her taste buds.

"What about now chu~? Do you like it?" Pierce asked. Red nodded as she continued to drink it down. After she finished it, she felt the caffeine start to kick in.

"Okay Pierce, let's go!" Red said as she grabbed Pierce by the arm and began to lead him out of the tree. She pulled him a few feet into the forest before a sudden realization hit her.

"Pierce! We're still small!" Red exclaimed, a bit louder than needed. Pierce flinched slightly at the sound of her voice, then smiled and pulled two little round objects out of his coat pocket.

"Eat this chu~." He said as he handed it to her. It was a small cookie with the words "Eat Me" writing on it in icing. She bit into it without hesitation and Pierce did the same. She began to grow until she was back to her normal size.

"Wee! I'm big again!" Red exclaimed as she happily skipped around in a circle.

"Now let's go to the tower! I'll race you!" Red said as she ran off, leaving Pierce in the dust.

"Red! Wait!"

…

In her caffeinated state, Red failed to notice that she had lost Pierce awhile back. She continued to run through the forest until she noticed the snow falling from the sky. She started to slow down as the effects of the coffee began to wear off.

"We're almost there Pierce... Pierce?" Red turned around but she saw no sign of the mouse.

"I guess I ran a little too fast..." Red mumbled. She glanced around and tried to remember the way to the tower. The fact that she had made it to the clover territory at all was pure luck, considering she had a sense of direction almost bad enough to match Ace.

"Red!" She spun around and saw Gray running towards her.

"Mister Gray?" He picked her up off the ground and inspected her for injuries, and was greatly relieved that he found none.

"Where have you been?" He asked, more concerned than angry.

"Some bad guys were chasing us, so we hid in Pierce's house. But then it got dark, so we had to stay there for the night." Red explained.

"At least you're not hurt..." Gray said with a sigh.

"Now let's get you back to the tower before Alice has a mental breakdown, shall we?" Gray said.

"Okay mister Gray."

…

"Red! I'm so glad you're okay!" Alice exclaimed as she ripped her out of Gray's arms and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. After a few moments, she set her down on the floor and frowned at her.

"Where have you been? Do you have any idea how worried I was?" Alice demanded in a stern voice, putting her hands on her hips. Red lowered her head in guilt as she twiddled her thumbs, trying to think of a good excuse.

"It wasn't the child's fault Alice. It seems that the Cheshire cat decided to take her without asking permission." Gray said in Red's defense.

"Darn it Boris! I will murder that cat!" Alice growled. Hating to see Alice upset, Red walked over to Alice's and tugged lightly on her dress.

"Please don't be mad Alice." Red said with her eyes wide and her lower lip trembling slightly. Alice's eyes softened as she bent down and picked her up.

"I'm not mad at you Red. I was just really scared is all." Alice said. Red laid her head down on Alice's shoulder and yawned, as she was experiencing something known as the caffeine crash.

"I think it's time for a nap." Alice giggled.

"And Gray, thank you for finding her. You're a real life saver." Alice said gratefully.

"It was nothing Alice." Gray said with a smile.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have some paperwork I need to finish." And with that, he left.

Alice carried Red to her bedroom and set her down on the bed. Oliver meowed with excitement upon seeing his owner and hopped up on the bed next to her. Red petted the happy kitten as Alice got her nightgown out of the dresser. After getting her changed, Alice tucked her in and gave her a kiss on the forehead. Oliver cuddled up next Red and licked her on the nose, causing her to giggle.

"Sleep tight Red."


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39: Poison?

Julius glanced over at the child who was sitting on a chair next to his desk, watching him as he worked. Alice had left to return a book to Blood, and Red stayed behind for obvious reasons. For some reason, she had chosen to stick with Julius until Alice returned. He was confused by her decision, but made no effort to make her leave. It wasn't like she was bothering him or anything.

"Isn't this boring you?" Julius asked.

"Nope. I watch my big brothers work all the time, except for when they have to do exe, exec,-"

"Executions?"

"Yeah those, whatever they are." Red said. The room went silent once again as Julius focused on his work. He had resented Red a bit at first, considering she was a Joker after all, but as time went on, he had grown a tolerance for her. Especially after seeing how quickly the other roleholders accepted her, including Boris, Pierce, Gowland, Vivaldi, Ace, and Gray. Even Nightmare had said that there wasn't a single evil thought in her head. And of course, Alice's adoration of the little girl definitely helped to convince him.

"I'm back Julius!" Alice announced as she stepped into the room.

"Alice!" Red exclaimed as she hopped down from the chair and gave her a hug.

"Red didn't give you any trouble I'm sure." Alice said as she returned the hug with a smile.

"She was was fine." Julius replied. Alice only sighed. She could never carry on a conversation with him.

"Oh! You're out of coffee. Would you like me to make you some more?" Alice asked as she picked up the empty mug from his desk.

"Yes, thank you." Julius replied.

"Come on Red, you can help me." Alice said. Red took Alice's hand and she led her out of the room and down the hallway to the kitchen. Red sat down at the table as Alice began to boil the water.

"Red, would you get the sugar for me please?" Alice asked as she ground the coffee beans.

"Sure Alice!" Red replied as she slipped out of her chair and headed over to the cabinet. She was surprised to find not sugar, but a certain mind-reading incubus.

"Nightmare? What are you doing in there?" Red asked.

"I'm hiding from Gray!" Nightmare replied.

"Why?" Red questioned.

"He's trying to make me do my work!" Nightmare whined.

"Nightmare, get out from there and quit being a nuisance to Gray!"to Alice said as she came over and roughly yanked him out from the cabinet.

"You're so cruel Alice!" Nightmare said. At that moment, they heard heavy footsteps in the hallway, causing Nightmare to flinch.

"He's coming!" He exclaimed before running out through the other door. Seconds later, Gray came into the kitchen, looking very irritated. Without a word, both Alice and Red pointed towards the door Nightmare had used. He gave them a grateful nod before hurrying after him. Alice just shook her head before returning to the search for sugar.

"Hmm, it's looks like we're out of sugar. There might be some more in the pantry, wait here Red." Alice said before heading off to the pantry. Since the tower was so unnecessarily huge, Red knew it could be awhile before she would return. She sat back down at the table and waited.

A few minutes had passed when one of the maids entered the kitchen. There weren't nearly as many servants at the tower as there were at the mansion or the castle, so they didn't usually scurry around in large numbers. She had only actually seen a handful of them since she had gotten here, and she had never met this one before.

"Hi!" Red said with a wave. The maid jumped slightly, as she hadn't noticed her when she had come in.

"Oh, it's only a child. Hello, little miss." The maid said before realization hit her.

"Wait! You're that little Joker girl aren't you?" She asked.

"Uh huh! My name's Red!" She said and the maid smiled brightly at her.

"Little miss Red, would you like me to prepare some hot cocoa for you? It's perfect to warm you up in the winter~!" The maid offered.

"Yes, thank you!" Red said. The maid turned around and began rummaging around in the cabinets. In just a few minutes, she placed a cup a steaming hot chocolate in front of her.

"Here you go miss~! Be careful, it's hot!" The maid said.

"Thank you very much!" Red said before taking a sip.

"You're very welcome miss~! Hope you like it~!" She said before leaving the room. Red continued to sip the cocoa until she began to feel a bit odd. Her limps began to ache, and her stomach started to hurt. Pushing the drink away from her, she stood up and tried to walk towards the door. She made it halfway when her legs gave out from under her.

"Red! Are you alright? ! What happened? !" Red looked up to see Alice standing above her. She quickly set the sugar down on the table and knelt down next to Red on the floor.

"It hurts..." Red mumbled as she clung to Alice.

"It's okay Red. It'll be just fine." Alice said comfortingly as she held her in her arms.

"Julius! Gray! Nightmare! Help!" She called out loudly. Within a few moments, all three men came rushing into the room.

"Alice! What's wrong?" Julius demanded before he noticed Red on the floor.

"What happened to her?" Gray asked as he lifted her off the ground.

"I don't know! I left for a few minutes, and when I came back she was on the ground!" Alice exclaimed.

"Red, Red, can you hear me?" Gray asked, but she was out cold.

"Julius, get a doctor. I'll take her to her room." Gray said before taking Red out of the kitchen with Alice and Nightmare following after him.

…

The maid smiled triumphantly as she walked away from the tower. She hadn't expected it to have been so easy, but there she was, all alone without a roleholder in sight. Upon hearing that the Joker girl had taken refuge at the tower, the gang, Spade, as they called themselves, immediately came up with a plan. They sent one of their own disguised as a servant to poison the girl, though they had not known it would be so simple. Chuckling to herself, the maid pulled out the tiny bottle of poison from her pocket.

"Wait a second..." She muttered as she looked at it. The bottle was full.

"If I didn't give her the poison, then what did I give her?"

…

Nightmare stared down at the unconscious girl with a frown on his face. A doctor had came, but had found nothing wrong with her. He said that she had probably just fainted and would be fine when she woke up. Nightmare wasn't convinced, and neither were Alice and Gray. But all they could do was wait. Each one of them blamed themselves for what happened. They all knew how dangerous it was for her to be left alone, even in the tower. No matter where she hid, or who she was around, she was always in danger. Dozens of enemies hiding around every corner, just waiting for a chance to try and kill her, despite that she's done nothing wrong. She's just an innocent girl that happens to be adored by the most hated roleholders in Wonderland.

"You poor child..." Nightmare muttered.

"And after everything I've done, you're still in so much pain..."

**What did Nightmare mean by that? Well, you won't know until the sequel~ (Which probably won't be for several more months. I still got a lot to do for this story.) MWAHAHAHAHA *Ahem* sorry...**


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Growing Pains

Red blinked slowly as she sat up. She felt... different. And everything looked somehow smaller to her. Stretching, she got out of bed. Now she really felt odd. Had she gotten taller? She looked over to Oliver who was perched on her bed. Even he knew something was off. He kept staring at her strangely, as if he was trying to figure out if she was really his owner. Overtaken by suspicion, she made her way over to the mirror.

"Wow..." She muttered as she stared at her reflection. She had indeed gotten taller. While she used to be only 4'2, she was now at least 5'4. Her hair had also grown longer, now flowing several inches past her shoulders. She now had a petite slim figure, and was rather... well developed. She spun around, taking in every detail of her new body before excitedly hurrying off to show Alice.

"Alice! Alice! Look!" Red exclaimed as she burst into the main room, where she was told all the tower's residents currently were. Everyone turned and their eyes grew wide, the male's jaws dropping to the floor.

"Red? Is that you?" Alice asked in amazement as she got up and hurried over to her.

"Of course it is Alice! I'm all grown up now!" Red said excitedly.

"So it was an... aging potion." Nightmare muttered.

"Can you fix it?" Alice asked.

"We'll need the antidote. I'll just have to find it." Nightmare said.

"We better hurry, the Jokers could be back any-"

***knock knock***

"Ugh. Coming!" Alice said before trudging across the room and throwing open the door, her eyes nearly popping out of her skull as she saw who it was.

"Hello Alice! We've come to take Red back home." White said. Alice panicked as she tried to think of a way to explain the situation.

"Come in, we've got something we should tell you..." Alice said as she stepped aside.

"Is something wrong Alice?" White asked.

"Did somebody hurt her? !" Black demanded.

"Well, you see-"

"Big brother!" Red exclaimed happily as she hugged the Jokers tightly. They stared down at her for a moment before looking back up at Alice.

"Alice... how long have we been gone?"

…

"So you're staying she's stuck like this until we find the damn antidote? !" Black shouted.

"Unfortunately, yes. But it shouldn't be long, only a few days or so. Once we locate the where the potion came from, finding the antidote should be easy." Nightmare said.

"It could be worse I guess..." White said.

"Well, let's just get her home. We'll figure this out later." White said as he stood up from the couch.

"Oh no, there's no way in hell she's going out wearing that!" Black said, pointing at her outfit, which was only a very short white nightgown that just barely covered her.

"No problem~" Nightmare said as he snapped his fingers and the nightgown transformed into a much more appropriate outfit. She had a red tank top with straps that crossed in the front, over a gray short sleeved t-shirt and a black pleated mini skirt. She also wore a pair of black lace up boots with black and gray striped socks, and her hair was even tied back into a ponytail with a black ribbon.

"Better. Now let's go."

…

Red walked in between her older brothers, carrying Oliver in her arms as they walked back home. She was a bit too big for her brothers to carry her like they used too, but fortunately now she was able to walk longer than five minutes without getting tired. She noticed that Black was acting funny. He kept looking around with a threatening glare at any male that they walked past.

"Damn perverts... every last one of them." He grumbled under his breath.

"Is something wrong big brother?" Red asked.

"Everything's fine Red. He's just being cautious." White said.

"Why?" Red asked.

"Your new body is a bit... vulnerable, darling. Even more so than the last." White explained.

"But I'm big now!" Red said, too naïve to understand.

"That's exactly the problem..." Black muttered. A few moments later, Red felt someone accidentally brush up against her shoulder as they walked past.

"Hey! Watch it f***er!" Black shouted as he spun around, pulling out his gun and aiming it at the poor man.

"I-I'm sorry! It was an accident!" The frightened man said.

"Accident my a**! You just wanted an excuse to touch her you disgusting pig!" Black accused.

"N-no! I swear, I-I would never-!"

"Stop it big brother!" Red demanded angrily, shoving his hand away. The man immediately ran off as fast as he possibly could, disappearing around the corner.

"You really should calm down, Joker. Shooting every man in the country isn't going to solve anything." White said.

"Let's just get going. The less time she's out here, the better." Black said as he protectively put one arm around her and began to lead her away.

…

"You really need to relax, Joker. The problem will be solved very shortly. It's not like anything's really changed. Our little Red just isn't as little anymore." White said, sitting on the couch across from him with Red leaning against him.

"She's still too naïve, and I refuse to relax until I'm certain that she's safe from all the f***ing perverts in the world!" Black shouted.

"What's a pervert?" Red asked innocently.

"See? !" Black exclaimed. Ignoring him, White turned to look Red.

"A pervert is someone that... well, makes you feel uncomfortable. They try to touch you without your consent, and sometimes say some nasty things." White attempted to explain.

"...does that make Blood a pervert?" Red asked. Holding back a laugh, White nodded.

"Yes, Blood is very much a pervert." White said.

"Now, aside from that, how was your time at the tower?" White asked.

"It was really fun! I helped Gray find Nightmare, and watched Julius work, and I even got to play with Pierce!" Red said.

"Oh did you?" White asked, grinning at Black, who was obviously not pleased.

"Yeah! Some people tried to chase us, but we hide in Pierce's house! And then it got dark, so we stayed there for the night!" Red said. Black's eye began to twitch and White grew more amused. Although very protective of Red, White was aware that she was still a little girl, and Pierce and Red's relationship was nothing to worry about... for now. Pierce was too childish and innocent to pose any threat to Red's safety. If it were any other roleholder acting in such a way towards her, it would be a completely different story.

"But he only had one bed, so we slept together." Red continued. Black's face went pale and he nearly fell over.

"You might want to stop Red. I'm not sure if Black's clock can take any more~." White said. Black suddenly stood up and began walking towards the door without a word.

"Where are you going big brother?" Red asked.

"To find that f***ing antidote!"

* * *

**I had originally planned on doing an entirely separate story about Red being a teenager, but I knew I would never have the time. So, I just took some ideas I had and made a few chapters about it instead~**


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41: Modesty

Red stood in the circus and was amazed at how fast the Jokers had been able to repair everything. It only took five days to get the entire circus up and running again, and it looked just as good as it did before the incident, if not better. The workers had all been replaced, the animals were back in their cages, the stalls had been rebuilt, and a new tent had been put up. It was like the whole thing had never happened. The Jokers were planning a big show for the grand reopening of the circus, and everyone was busy with the preparations. Red couldn't help but notice the employee's stares. They must've been confused by the disappearance of the littlest Joker, and the appearance of a new one. Black hadn't been successful with his attempt of finding the antidote. Neither he or Nightmare had even been able to locate the potion itself. At this rate, Red could be stuck in this body for several weeks.

Red felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around. It was one of the performers. He was young, probably in his early twenties. He was rather tall, towering at least a foot above her, and had short messy black hair.

"Who're you sweetheart? I haven't seen you around here before." He asked, grinning at her and leaning down so that he was closer to her face.

"My name's Red." She said, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"Red huh? Well, how about you and me get together sometime darling~?" He said. Red looked at him suspiciously. Something about his question seemed... odd. Was he one of those "perverts" Black warned her about? Before she could respond, she noticed someone standing behind the man.

"Oh! Hi big brother!" Red said, looking past the man. He quickly turned around and was met with a very frightening looking White. He had his usual smile, but something about it didn't seem very cheerful.

"Big b-brother?" The man stuttered, his face turning white.

"That's right. Now, what was it you were talking to my dear little sister about?" White asked in a low, threatening voice.

"N-nothing! Nothing at all!" The man stuttered.

"That's what I thought. Now run along, and I would appreciate it if you kept your distance from her." White said. The man muttered one last apology before running for his life.

"Big brother, was he a pervert?" Red asked.

"Yes, Red. Yes he was."

"And that's why, if he, or anyone else, try to talk, touch, or even look at you, run away and find either me or Black, okay?" White said and Red nodded.

"Now go on and play, just be careful." White said.

"Okay big brother!" Red said before skipping off. As she wandered around the circus, she noticed Alice had come by. Grinning, she happily ran towards her.

"Alice!" Red exclaimed. Alice smiled at her as she turned around.

"Hey there Red. I was on my way to the castle and I thought I'd stop by. Would you like to come with me?" Alice asked.

"Sure, just let me ask my big brother." Red said and tapped her finger against the mask that was now placed on her hip.

"Big brother?" She said.

"Yes darling?"

**"Yeah sis?" **

"Can I go to the castle with Alice please?" Red asked sweetly.

"Of course sweetheart."

**"Fu- heck no!"**

"Oh, don't be like that Joker!"

**"I said no! It's too dangerous!" **

"It'll be fine! I'll have a few of my employees escort them."

"Please big brother?" Red pleaded, cutting into the argument.

**"...fine. But if you're not back within the next time period you'll be grounded for a week, understand?" **

"Yes big brother~."

...

"So how have the Jokers been handling this little change?" Alice asked as they followed White's employees to the castle. White had originally sent just three of them, but Black demanded at least twelve went with them, all heavily armed of course.

"White's okay with it, but Black's been acting really weird." Red said.

"Weird how?" Alice asked.

"He keeps trying to shoot any boy that comes near me..." Red said.

"I can't say I'm surprised." Alice said with a giggle.

White's employee's stayed behind at the entrance while the two of them went to see the queen. They found her in the audience chamber with Peter at her side. She smiled upon seeing Alice, but her happiness quickly turned to confusion when she saw the young girl that was with her.

"Alice, who is this you have brought with you? She seems very familiar to us..." Vivaldi said.

"It's Red, but she's... grown up a bit." Alice explained.

"Since the girl is no longer small and cute, surely you don't adore her anymore my dear~!" Peter exclaimed, earning a glare from Alice.

"We were correct! We knew you would grow up to be beautiful young lady!" Vivaldi exclaimed, shoving Peter out of the way so that she could get a better look.

"But you should wear something more flattering darling! You have a figure, you should show it off! We think that skirt of yours could be shortened up a bit~!" Vivaldi said as she tugged at the bottom of Red's skirt. She was so excited she didn't bother to question how she had grown up so quickly.

"Come with us! We will give you a proper makeover dear!"

…

Red sat down in front of the vanity in Vivaldi's bedroom as she applied all sorts of makeup to her while Alice just stood and watched. Red didn't really care, as long as they didn't put her into another frilly dress. The outfit Vivaldi had chosen for her consisted of a black corset with red lacing and a rather short red skirt along with a pair of black and red striped stockings. She also wore black fishnet gloves and a black choker with a spade in the middle, surrounded by red lace. Red, being too young to know any better, didn't see a problem with it. Alice went along with it as well, mostly because she could just imagine the look on Black's face when he saw what his little sister was wearing.

"We are finished!" Vivaldi announced as she set down the makeup brush. Red turned and looked in the mirror, eyes widening as she saw what Vivaldi was done. She had dark red lipstick and black eyeshadow with thick black eyeliner that flicked out on the sides. Her cheeks were dusted with blush and she had long eyelashes thickly coated in mascara. She looked almost like a porcelain doll.

"Wow Vivaldi! You did an amazing job!" Alice complimented.

"We just couldn't help ourselves." Vivaldi said with a grin.

"Now there's just one more thing~!" Vivaldi said as she grabbed Red by the arm and took her over to a chair that sat in front of a full length mirror. She rummaged around in her closet for a few moments before returning, holding a pair of black heels with red bows. She slipped them onto Red's feet and helped her stand up.

"It will take some getting used to, but the heels aren't too high. We believe you should be just fine. Give it a try." Vivaldi said. Red obeyed and took a few wobbly steps forward. Her walk was rather awkward as this was the first time she had ever worn heels. The tight corset and the short skirt didn't help her either. The two women couldn't help but giggle as Red struggled.

"You'll get the hang of it eventually. Now let's get back to the circus before Black has a panic attack."

…

The faceless employees led Red back to the circus after stopping at the tower. Alice decided it would be best if she wasn't around when Black got a look at her. Red couldn't help but notice that the male faceless kept looking away from her, but she just shrugged it off.

Once they reached the circus, Red quickly thanked the faceless workers and ran off to find her big brothers. Peeking into the circus tent, she saw one of them supervising the performers with their back to her. It was Black, although she wasn't sure what he was doing there.

"Big brother!" She called out as she ran towards him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Back already sis?" Black asked as he turned around. Red let go of him and took a step back, watching as his eyes nearly popped out of his skull.

"W-what the hell are you wearing? !" Black demanded as he looked her over. Red glanced down at her outfit and shrugged.

"Vivaldi gave me a makeover. She said I needed to wear something more "flattering". Whatever that means." Red said. Every male faceless turned away from the scene, their faces blushing bright red. No man would dare so much as glimpse at the Joker's little sister, especially while she was wearing that. Black took off his jacket and put it over her in order to cover her up.

"Come with me, now." Black said as he grabbed her by the hand and took her to the prison. He dragged her down the hallway into his bedroom and threw open the bathroom door. He picked her up and set her down next to the sink, her heels slipping off her feet and onto the floor. After snatching up a cloth and running it under the water, he started to scrub her face furiously, trying to wipe away the layers of makeup.

"Ow! Bwack that huwts!" Red protested as he scrubbed her cheeks, attempting to squirm out of his grasp.

"Then sit still!" He growled as he caught her hand that tried to smack the cloth away.

"Joker? Where are you?" They heard White calling as he stepped into the room.

"In here!" Black replied as he continued to scrape the makeup off Red's face.

"What's going on in here?" White asked from the doorway, staring at the scene before him.

"You're being too rough with her Joker!" White chided as he took the cloth from Black.

"Why are you dressed like that sweetheart?" White asked as he continued where Black left off, scrubbing away the remains of the makeup, much more gently than Black had.

"The damn queen dressed her up again! Only it wasn't some stupid dress this time." Black grumbled. White chuckled as he wiped away the lipstick from her mouth.

"There's no reason to be angry Joker. Red doesn't know any better. Now why don't you get her something to change into?" White said. Black grumbled something unintelligible before leaving the room. After wiping away one final spot, White set the red and black smudged cloth down on the edge of the sink. Her cheeks were slightly red from Black's relentless scrubbing, but at least her face was free of makeup.

Red hopped down from the counter and White began to help her out of her clothes. He started to unzip the corset top when Black returned. He had brought with him a modest long sleeved black nightgown. He handed it to White without a word and turned his head away. Normally he would help her, but despite her mind only being eight, he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable even looking at her. White on the other hand, really couldn't care less. She was still just a little girl in his eyes.

After removing the revealing clothing, he slipped the nightgown over her. It went down just a little above her knees and the sleeves went several inches past her hands.

"There, all better." White said, holding the stack of clothing in one hand. Black finally turned back to face them, relieved to see she had been covered up.

"Alright, it's time for bed sweetheart." White said as he took her by the hand.

"Aww, but I'm not even tired!" Red whined. Normally she would be exhausted by now, but she had much more endurance in her new body.

"Come on now darling, you need your rest." White said. Red pouted but allowed him to lead her back to her bedroom, with Black following after them. Oliver was already sitting on her bed, waiting for her to come back. He meowed excitedly as he trotted over to the end of the bed. Red smiled at him and lifted him up into her arms before climbing into bed herself.

"Goodnight sweetheart." White said, giving her a kiss on the forehead, like he always did.

"Night sis." Black said. The two of them then left the room together, but left the door open just a crack, allowing the light from the hallway into the room.

"How are you so f***ing calm about this? !" Black demanded as they stepped out into the hallway.

"Don't worry Joker, I don't think any man will becoming near our little Red." White said.

"How can you be so sure?" Black asked.

"After seeing what happened to the young man that I caught flirting with our little darling, I highly doubt they will so much as look at her." White said, an evil grin spreading across his face. The short conversation the faceless man had with White certainly wasn't all he got for hitting on the little sister of the Joker.

"Well that would explain the blood splatters on the spinning target..."


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42: Pervert

**Important Note: I will not be able to update this AT ALL next week for I will be on vacation. Updates will resume on Monday, July 22****nd****. Enjoy the new chapter and I'll see you all (well not really) then~!**

Red followed close behind Black as he did his rounds in the prison. After yesterday he refused to let her out of his sight. He glared death at every prisoner they past, daring them to so much as look at her. Red only smiled happily as she held onto her big brother's arm. Suddenly, they heard running from down the hall. Black jerked his head up in time to see a prisoner run by.

"Stay here Red! I'll be right back!" Black ordered as he hurried after him. Red stayed behind like he told her to, listening as their footsteps got more and more distant until she couldn't hear them at all. Sighing, she leaned against the wall and waited. Then she heard the footsteps again. But she only heard one pair of them this time, and they were coming from the opposite direction of where Black had ran. Fearing the worst, she slipped behind the wall and crouched down next to an empty cell before taking a quick peek.

Like she had expected, it was a prisoner. His mask had been removed and she was able to see his face, or lack of one that is. She was scared, but was afraid to call for Black in case the man would hear her. Her previous experiences with the prisoners never ended well, and she highly doubted this would either if he found her.

He kept walking closer, slowly, to avoid making any noise and alerting the warden, wherever he was right now. Red held her breath as he approached, just a few yards away from where she was hiding. Knowing he would attack her the moment she was spotted, she decided the best thing to was run.

Red sprinted out of her hiding spot and took off down the hallway. She heard the surprised shout of the prisoner as she ran out in front of him. She could hear the sounds of his hurried footsteps as he ran after her.

"Big brother!" She shouted frantically into the mask as she took a sharp turn around the corner.

**"I'm almost done sis, just hang on." **He replied, clearly not detecting the panic in her voice.

"But big brother-!" Red shouted before tripping over a broken toy. She fell to the ground, landing with a loud thud. The mask fell from her hair and skidded down the hall out of her reach. She attempted to scramble to her feet, but the prisoner brought his foot down on her back, pinning her to the ground.

"Big brother! Help!" Red shouted as she thrashed around on the ground beneath him.

"Shut up girl!" The man shouted at her. She felt the weight being lifted off her back and she was lifted up off the ground and pinned against the wall.

"Heh, you were a lot smaller the last time I saw you skipping around here like this was a f***ing playground." The man said.

"But I guess it will be a lot more fun this way." The man said with an odd gleam in his eye. They way he said it frightened her, but she had no idea what he meant. It reminded her of the way Blood was acting when she walked in on him and the maid. He held her wrists together above her head with one hand while the other trailed down her side and rested on her hip. Red squirmed uncomfortably in his grip. Although she was not fully aware of the severity of the situation, she knew she didn't like it. It was when his hand started to slip underneath her shirt that she refused to let him continue.

"BIG BROOOTHER!" She screeched at the top of her lungs. The man removed his hand and quickly clamped it over her mouth.

"I said shut up you little b****!" He growled angrily. Red only whimpered in response. He slowly removed his hand and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small knife.

"Are you going to be quiet now?" He asked, lightly tapping the blade against her throat. Red nodded slightly, trembling in fear.

"Good girl. Now just let me have my fun, alright?" He said as he slipped the knife back into his pocket. He placed his hand on her thigh as he leaned in closer to her. Red shut her eyes tightly and continued to whimper as his hand snaked up her leg. His hand stopped just at the hem of skirt and she heard him emit an odd gurgling sound.

Her eyes opened to see blood dripping out of his mouth and a blade piercing through his chest. The blade slipped out, causing his lifeless body to fall to the ground. Ace stood there, holding his bloody sword in triumph.

"Ace!" Red exclaimed as she ran to his side, stepping over the prisoner's corpse.

"Red! Red, are you alright? !" Black shouted as turned the corner.

"She's fine Joker. I got to her before he could feel her up~!" Ace said.

"That f***ing son of b**** tried to do what? !" Black shouted as he stormed over, kicking the corpse out of the way.

"I got here just in time too. I caught him with his hands nearly up her skirt!" Ace said. Black frantically looked Red over, making sure she wasn't hurt before lifting her up and carrying her bridal style in his arms.

"Take care of this mess will ya?" Black said.

"Sure thing boss~!" Ace replied. And with that, Black walked off with Red in his arms towards his bedroom.

Shoving the door open with his shoulder, he walked across the room and sat down on the couch. Completely ignoring Red's current size, he set her on his lap and hugged her tightly. Red was still trembling after being left terrified and confused from the incident. She nuzzled her face into his shoulder as she tried to calm herself down.

"Big brother?" Red mumbled after a few moments of silence.

"Yeah sis?" Black said.

"What was that man trying to do?" Red asked. Black shut his eyes and sighed, trying to think of a good answer.

"You wouldn't understand Red..." He finally muttered. They sat in silence for another few minutes before Red spoke up again.

"Big brother, I don't think I like being big anymore..." Red mumbled.

"I don't like it either Red. That's why I'm being so overprotective. If Ace hadn't shown up when he did..." Black trailed off, shuddering at the thought.

"But what's important is that you're alright. And I promise I'll never let that happen again. I'm so sorry sis, I should've never left you alone." Black said as he hugged her again.

"It's okay big brother. You didn't have much of choice did you?" Red said reassuringly.

"I guess not. But as your big brother it's my duty to blame myself for everything." Black said with a small smile. Red smiled back and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"I just hope you don't hate us when you really hit your teen years." Black said jokingly.

"I could never hate you big brother!" Red exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his neck. Black chuckled and put his arms around her waist.

"I sure hope not sis."


End file.
